Last week, MAPL students and faculty coached and supported about 130 local high schoolers in role playing as legislators at the Minnesota State Capitol, as part of the Metro State University Model Legislature. Students from Camden High School, Harding Senior High School, South High School, Two Rivers High School, Minneapolis College, and the CLUES Youth in Action Program stepped into roles as legislators, lobbyists, and staff members, gaining firsthand insight into the legislative process. These individuals had the opportunity to sit in hearing rooms and on the House floor, debating and voting on bills of their own choosing, drawn from real bills from the most recent legislative session. They also got to hear from legislative leaders like Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy and House Majority Leader Jamie Long.
Professor C. Scott Cooper, MAPL program director, says, "This is our first year running our own model legislature program through MAPL, modeled on the wonderful Winona Model Legislature that Rep. Gene Pelowski has run for years down at Winona State. He’s been hugely supportive of our work and very helpful to us all year, as we’ve planned for this event."
With guidance from Metro State MAPL graduate students and appearances by Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, House Majority Leader Jamie Long, Representative Emma Greenman, Representative Jess Hanson and other elected officials, this immersive experience showcased the power of civic engagement. Held in collaboration with the Minnesota Legislature, the program offered a unique opportunity for students to explore policymaking, advocate for their communities, and envision themselves as future leaders.
Congratulations to the whole Metro State team that worked on this project, the many MAPL students involved, and especially to the MAPL faculty team: Representative Emma Greenman, Representative Jess Hanson, and Professor Cooper!