Dozens of Latino high school students from across the state – and beyond – will spend this week at Colorado State University. They’ll be learning about the legislative process and college life.
High school sophomores and juniors are participating in the 22nd annual Colorado Lorenzo De Zavala Youth Legislative Session. They will form a government and engage in a mock legislative process as well as judicial hearings that will tie into issues important to the Latino community. This goes beyond a simple civics lesson, according to Jim Rollins, executive director of admissions at CSU.
“It’s meant to bring out not only communication and leadership skills for these students, but to help them get prepared for the idea of going onto college as well,” he said.
CSU and the National Hispanic Institute have co-hosted this event since 1990 – the event itself has been held since the early 1980s. It’s named after a 19th-century Mexican politician, and the first vice president of the Republic of Texas. Students will come from as far away as Panama and Mexico. Activities this week also include campaigns for office, legislative sessions and Supreme Court trials, among other things.