Firsthand Lessons in Government

For a weekend, Mountain Home High School sophomore Ean Gauthier was a district judge presiding over a high-profile arson trial at the Ada County Courthouse.

Hagerman High School junior Danica Knapp kept order on the floor of the Idaho State Capitol Building as speaker of the Idaho House of Representatives. She was also chosen to speak before a large audience that included actual state lawmakers, judges and top office holders.

Miles Palmer, a Salmon High School sophomore, was a news reporter covering the state Legislature.

The students had the unique opportunity to learn about state government, the judiciary and the press through firsthand experiences as participants in the annual University of Idaho Extension 4-H Youth Development Know Your Government Conference. In 2024 the conference drew 158 youth in grades eight through 10 from throughout Idaho, who got to participate in mock legislative hearings and mock trials in the very rooms where real policies are made and judicial rulings are handed down.

“You get youth who may not have a lot of confidence to speak in front of others,” said Mike Knutz, an area Extension 4-H educator who oversees the Know Your Government program. “What I see is a lot of leadership growth in young people.”

On the legislative side, 100 youth debated five different bills written by their peers in mock hearings, hosted in Capitol hearing rooms. They played the roles of lawmakers, witnesses and lobbyists, applying coaching tips from real state lobbyists and legislators. The remaining 58 youth participated as witnesses, attorneys, judges and bailiffs in mock trials hosted in five courtrooms at the Ada County Courthouse. They received performance feedback from practicing Idaho judges and attorneys.

Youth participating in the conference for a second year are assigned to whichever branch of government they didn’t experience during the previous year. Youth must be chosen to participate for a third or fourth year, during which they’re part of a steering committee whose members help plan the conference and assume leadership roles in the mock trials and hearings. Third-year steering committee members play the roles of judges, reporters and legislative committee chairs. Four fourth-year students are selected as speaker of the house, news editor, video editor or chief justice.

Based largely on the thrill of issuing quick rulings while wearing a judge’s robe for Know Your Government, Gauthier signed up for a high school mock trial program following the conference. He now plans to enroll in law school.

He offered the following advice for any 4-Her considering participating in the conference: “Just go for it and do it because it’s beneficial for you in every way.”

Knapp authored one of the mock bills that were debated, seeking to increase pay for Idaho teachers.

The pretend bill was amended in a committee and ultimately failed by three votes, following a spirited debate.

Knapp was also chosen to give the Legislative Breakfast Address in front of a crowd of more than 260 people that included many of the state’s top leaders. Her speech focused on the conference’s theme, Building for the Future, using construction of a new house as a metaphor for how 4-H helps young people navigate life’s journey. Several leaders congratulated Knapp on her speech afterwards, and some in the audience even requested a copy of her remarks.

“From being in Know Your Government, I have definitely gained a lot of knowledge about government, but I also got to make so many friends whom I get to see in FFA and 4-H and outside of the Know Your Government Conference,” Knapp said. “I also think it has helped grow my confidence and speaking skills and doing things off the fly that are not 100% planned. Planning a large conference, not everything is going to go as planned.”

In his role as a reporter, Palmer photographed the weekend’s events and carefully documented the debate about a mock bill seeking to prevent state income taxes from being collected from minors’ paychecks. The bill passed, based on proponents’ arguments that minors can’t vote and are therefore being taxed without representation. Palmer’s reporting was included in a newsletter covering the weekend’s events.

“This is a valuable skill to learn how to lead and how to write an article, and you learn you have a deadline,” Palmer said. “It was super cool. It gives you an immersive experience and you can actually get into what you do.”

Participating school districts are now offering school credit to youth who participate in Know Your Government.