LWVS Sends Three Students to Albany

For the fourth consecutive year, the League of Women Voters Scarsdale sent local high school students to the Students Inside Albany conference as part of its youth outreach program. Scarsdale High School Juniors Marie Ceske, Gabriela Dickson and Alexander First represented the Scarsdale League at the conference in May 2015.

Students Inside Albany is an intensive four-day conference designed to immerse students in the process by which public policy is proposed, revised and enacted in New York State and to educate them as to how they can influence and affect this process. The cost of the conference, including hotel and meals, is borne by the League of Women Voters New York State Education Foundation, Inc. and our Scarsdale League.

This year's students described the conference as a "remarkable experience." While shadowing Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, the students not only sat in on conferences and attended meetings, but also had the special opportunity to visit the headquarters of NYISO, New York State's energy system provider. The students also observed proceedings in the Assembly chamber, and met and shadowed state senators including State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins. As the students explained, "Being able to shadow legislators opened our eyes to the political process in Albany and how change is enacted. Elements of the program built around the shadow experience further allowed us to understand the different elements of our state government and how to become involved through citizen programs."

The students said they would "strongly recommend" the Students Inside Albany program "to anyone interested in politics, or with a thirst to learn about their surroundings and to play an active role in their own future. "

Students interested in applying to attend the 2016 Students Inside Albany Conference should go to LWVS.org next fall to get details. Application eligibility includes sophomore, junior and senior students who attend Scarsdale High School or who reside in the school district.