High school seniors-to-be will take a crack at running mock city, county and state governments this month at the American Legion Auxiliary Sunflower Girls State and American Legion Boys State sessions.
About 400 girls will come to Kansas University next week for Girls State, which begins Sunday and ends Friday. Boys State, with about 475 participants, runs June 10 through 16 at Kansas State University in Manhattan.
At both sessions, participants will learn about the workings of government and politics from the city to the state level through a simulation where they will run for public offices, manage city and state budgets, and produce legislation.
"It would be very similar to the game Sim City, except with real people," said Thane Chastain, Boys State development director.
Chastain said Boys State aims to improve participants' leadership skills, help them develop views on political issues and teach compromise and decision-making in government.
"We hopefully are teaching them that most decisions that last are ones that combine a liberal perspective and a conservative perspective," he said. "It's not a 'one size fits all,' 'my way or the highway' kind of view. Those almost never work."
Claudia Satterlee, Girls State director, said the goals of Girls State are similar.
"It helps nurture and grow our girls into young women, more responsible as far as being able to help out in their communities," she said.
Girls State and Boys State participants will also hear leaders speak about government and politics. At Boys State, speakers will include Delano Lewis, who has been U.S. ambassador to South Africa and CEO of National Public Radio, and state Rep. Joshua Svaty, D-Ellsworth - both Boys State alumni.
At Girls State, speakers will include Ron Thornburgh, Kansas secretary of state; Lynn Jenkins, Kansas treasurer; and state Rep. Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia, a Girls State alumna.
Girls State participants will also visit the Capitol in Topeka to meet with government leaders, including Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.
The participants in both sessions were nominated by their high schools or other organizations.
Lists of participants will not be available until the sessions begin.
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