Ricketts Meets With Boys and Girls State Delegates

LINCOLN – Governor Pete Ricketts met with delegates from the Boys and Girls State programs as they met in Lincoln last week. The summer programs, run by the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary, aim to educate Nebraska’s rising high school seniors about the workings of local, state, and federal government.

“Civically-engaged people are the foundation of a healthy republic,” said Governor Ricketts. “Thank you to the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary for their decades-long commitment to hosting these outstanding opportunities for hundreds of Nebraska high schoolers each year. The Boys and Girls State programs develop the next generation of Nebraska’s young leaders and provide them with great civic education, setting them on a path to serve and grow our communities.”

Among the delegates were four representatives nominated by Auxiliary Unit 17 in Sidney. They included Caitlym Mueller and Alecah Fort of Sidney and Chloe Stupka and Jadyn Gerold of Chappell.

Boys and Girls State programs were held June 2nd - 8th this year on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s campus. This is the 79th year of the Boys and Girls State programs. The programs separate the delegates into “cities,” which put forward and elect officials to run events throughout the week. This gives students a hands-on opportunity to learn the duties of elected officials at various levels of government. Two delegates are also sent forward to Boys and Girls Nation programs held in Washington, D.C.