Six Greenville ISD students will be attending the highly respected educational programs, Boys State and Girls State, this summer. Through close coordination with the American Legion, five Greenville High School students will attend Boys State and one GHS student will attend Girls State. Students attending are Anakin Settle, James Chisholm, Luis Franco, Seth English, Zachary Norman, and Alexis Delgado.

Boys State and Girls State are among the most selective educational programs of government instruction for high school students. The participatory programs require students to role-play and become part of the operation of their local, county, and state government.

Five of the six students attending Boys and Girls state are also involved in the Greenville High School NJROTC program. The summer programs will provide a natural extension of core values learned in NJROTC. Senior Naval Science Instructor LCDR Larry Wilcock stated, “Promoting patriotism, developing informed and responsible citizens, and developing leadership potential are three of the 13 objectives taught through the NJROTC program. Boys State and Girls State require students to engage with these objectives through real-world enactments.”

Texas Boys State is a practical opportunity to learn leadership skills through role-play civic exercises. Delegates to Texas Boys State not only will be required to review knowledge already acquired concerning the political machinery of a state, but they will find themselves running for office as real candidates do in the everyday world.  At Texas Boys State, delegates organize their own city, county and state governments, and they choose their own officials in accordance with regular election procedures.  In addition, they learn the duties of the various city, county, and state officers, and they introduce and argue their own bills in a Legislature.

The American Legion Auxiliary sponsors a mirrored program for young women called Bluebonnet Girls State. As with Boys State, participants elect their own officials, learn the duties of the various city, county and state offices. Citizens also introduce and debate their own bills in a mock legislature. Girls State concludes with a visit to the State Capitol building in Austin where the citizens are given an opportunity to sight-see and meet state officials.

Superintendent Don Jefferies stated, “I am proud of these students for representing Greenville at such an advanced educational program. They will be able to see the value of the skills they have learned through the NJROTC program and other educational opportunities at GISD during life-like simulations and exercises and will no doubt excel during the experience.”

Greenville ISD is immensely thankful for the local sponsors who help fund summer program experiences and extracurricular activities for GISD students. Special thanks is given to the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary who generously sponsors Boys and Girls State for GISD students. The American Legion’s close cooperation with Greenville NJROTC and the High School counselor’s offices have made this opportunity a reality for an unprecedented number of students to attend this prestigious event.

For more information about the Greenville High School NJROTC program, visit our NJROTC website at: https://www.greenvilleisd.com/domain/374 or contact Senior Naval Science Instructor LCDR Larry Wilcock at 903-453-3752 or wilcockl@greenvilleisd.com.