Wyoming

Youth Governor

Ruby Dorrell
Laramie High School
2022-2023
rubygdorrell@icloud.com

Wyoming Youth Cabinet

All high school students (entering grades 9-12) across Wyoming are eligible to apply and serve as a member of the Wyoming Youth Cabinet:

Wyoming Youth Cabinet Members

During your yearlong term as a member of the Youth Cabinet, you’ll work with fellow cabinet members from around the state to develop a youth policy agenda and advocate for legislation that advances your agenda:

  • Participate in virtual cabinet meetings throughout the year.
  • Collaborate with cabinet members to develop a youth policy agenda for Wyoming.
  • Develop and implement an advocacy strategy that advances your policy agenda.
  • Present your policy agenda to state officials and legislators.

For students interested in serving as a member of the Wyoming Youth Cabinet, click on the application link below:

Wyoming Youth Cabinet Application

To share this opportunity, download our Wyoming Youth Cabinet Flyer (PDF). If you have additional questions, please reach out to your Youth Governor or Program Coordinator.

 

Cabinet Positions

The Wyoming Youth Cabinet is led by the Wyoming Youth Governor, who oversees the program throughout the year and presides over all cabinet meetings:

  • You must be a rising senior to apply to serve as Youth Governor of your state, and serve during your senior year.
  • If selected as Governor, you commit to attend the Youth Governors Conference in Washington, D.C. in June prior to the start of your senior year, and serving as a member of the Youth Governors Association (YGA), which meets throughout the year to facilitate national collaborations and opportunities.

In addition to Youth Governor, here are the Wyoming Youth Cabinet positions available to all interested high school students:

  • Attorney General
  • Chief of Staff
  • Commissioner of Insurance
  • Director of Agriculture
  • Director of Environmental Quality
  • Director of Health
  • Director of Transportation
  • Director of Workforce Services
  • Secretary of State
  • Superintendent of Public Instruction
  • Treasurer

Questions about a particular position? Contact your Youth Governor or Program Coordinator.

 

Cabinet Meetings

Members of the Wyoming Youth Cabinet will meet virtually throughout the year, and work towards the presentation of their youth policy agenda each spring. Each virtual meeting will help the cabinet develop, adopt, and advocate for their agenda, with cabinet members responsible for their position’s respective policy areas:

1. Organizational Session

  • The first cabinet meeting will serve as an organizational session, including cabinet members introductions and an overview of  cabinet process and procedures
  • Each cabinet member will share their vision for the issues they’d like to address in their respective policy area as part of the youth policy agenda.

2. Policy Agenda Briefing

  • The second cabinet meeting will serve as a briefing on the different pieces of legislation under consideration for inclusion in the cabinet’s youth policy agenda.
  • Each cabinet member will brief the cabinet on three pieces of legislation introduced by the Wyoming State Legislature that they would like to consider for inclusion on the youth policy agenda. These three pieces of legislation must be within the jurisdiction of their position’s respective policy areas.

3. Policy Agenda Hearing

  • The third cabinet meeting will serve as an official hearing to select legislation that will be included in the cabinet’s youth policy agenda
  • The cabinet will debate the three pieces of legislation proposed by each cabinet member, then rank and select one piece of legislation per member to formally adopt as part of the youth policy agenda.

4. Advocacy Planning

  • The fourth and final cabinet meeting will serve as a planning session for presenting and advocating for the cabinet’s youth policy agenda.
  • The cabinet will work together to plan their youth policy agenda presentation (including if the presentation will be virtual, hybrid, or in-person), and finalize their advocacy strategy for reaching out to public officials.

5. Youth Policy Agenda Presentation

  • In the spring, the cabinet will present their youth policy agenda in a virtual, hybrid, or in-person format to public officials, partners, and community members.
  • The cabinet will also activate their advocacy strategy, reaching out to respective state officials to advocate for the legislative priorities included in their policy agenda.

Students selected for next year’s Youth Cabinet are announced in the spring, including the new Youth Governor, who will attend the Youth Governors Conference in Washington, D.C. in June and serve as a member of the Youth Governors Association (YGA).