Area students selected for Cornhusker Boys and Girls State

Students from Perkins County High School and Wallace High School will be among the nearly 400 students from across Nebraska participating in the American Legion Cornhusker Boys and Girls State June 4-10 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The annual citizenship program is designed to provide youth with a better understanding of how city, county and state governments operate.

Boys and Girls State is set up as functional “51st state” and each participant learns how government subdivisions operate by actually doing the job.

Participants will campaign for offices, hold elections, take part in band and chorus, compete in athletics, and be involved in other activities as part of the citizenship training program. They will set up their own state government and draft bills.

Special lectures and addresses will be delivered by experienced public officials and professional leaders throughout Nebraska. Invitations have been sent to the governor and secretary of state offices for special appearances at this year’s program. National acclaimed motivational speakers are also scheduled to address the entire group.

Perkins County and Wallace participants include Kadie Hanson, Jessica Klingelhoefer, Charles Johnson, Tyson Patrick, and Kenyon Gaar, sponsored by Grant American Legion Unit 40; Jack Kohl and Colton Lamberti, sponsored by Madrid Unit 271; Haven Wid sponsored by Elsie Unit 206; Valerie Perez, Karen Ruiz-Vasquez and Michael Beck, sponsored by Venango Unit 270 and Hannah Nelson and Jared Sullivan, sponsored by Wallace Unit 213.