Picture, if you will, a place not found on any ordinary map – a week‑long journey into the heart of democracy itself. You are about to step through the curtain into Evergreen Boys & Girls State, where the hallways echo with the footsteps of tomorrow’s leaders and every vote casts a ripple through a miniature republic.

In this realm, high school students become mayors, legislators, and judges – roles they claim not from textbooks but from ballots they themselves have cast. Here, the Constitution takes shape in real time: city charters rise, county councils convene, and state legislatures debate the bills they draft. There are no spectators – only actors on a stage where the laws of governance are both script and performance.

By day’s end, these delegates have seen firsthand the weight of office, the thrill of debate, and the responsibility that comes with a single vote. And when their time in this simulated world draws to a close, they return home forever changed, carrying with them the knowledge that democracy lives not in theory, but in the choices we make—and the courage we summon to make them. Welcome…to Evergreen Boys & Girls State.

How does one become part of this experience? By showing sparks of citizenship, leadership, character, scholarship, and service … and by burning with a genuine desire to learn by doing. Some delegates arrive by nomination – handpicked by teachers, counselors, or American Legion posts – while others boldly apply on their own.

If you’re a high school junior with the courage to dive in, the curiosity to question, and the commitment to contribute, you have found your portal. Step forward … and join us in the transformation that awaits beyond the curtain.

Need more information?

Please use our website contact form, or send an email to office@evergreenboysstate.org.