American Legion Auxiliary seeking applicants for Wyoming Girls State program

The American Legion Auxiliary provides scholarships for girls who will be completing their junior year of high school (including home schooled) to attend the Wyoming Girls State program each year. The girls apply for the scholarships, and the Auxiliary then interviews the girls and selects the delegates who will be eligible to attend.

What is Girls State, you may ask? In Wyoming for 2024, the sessions are held on the Laramie County Community College (LCCC) campus June 9-15. The girls selected to attend will learn leadership skills, patriotism and social skills with a focus on government. They mix with other girls from around Wyoming and run the fictitious city, county and state government positions for the week under the guidance of volunteer staffers and volunteer senators, representatives and attorneys.

The girls write bills to be considered by their Girls State legislature, and the ones that pass through the Girls State legislature are sent on to the “real” legislators for their consideration. The girls are separated into the House, Senate and Courts and become much more well-rounded citizens. College credit and college scholarships are generally available, as well.

The Auxiliary pays for room, board and sessions. There is a registration fee of $30, and those who attend are responsible for transportation to and from Cheyenne.

If anyone knows of a girl who will finish her junior year of high school by June 1 that may be interested in attending Girls State, have them contact their school counselor or Trudy Zaffarano, Girls State chairman, at 307-272-3495. Applications are due by February 23.