Civics 101: High school students can sign up now for Premier Boys State, Illini Girls State

It is nearly time for incoming high school seniors to create the nation's mythic 51st state - Illinois Premier Boys State and its slightly younger sister, Illini Girls State, promoted by the American Legion Auxiliary.

As shown in the Sundance Film Festival-winning 2020 documentary about the program in Texas, "Boys State" is a student conference modeling city, county and state government.

"It's like an immersive civics class for a week," said James Karol, senior vice commander of American Legion George W. Benjamin Post 791 in Northbrook.

Now held at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, the first Boys State - thus, the "Premier" Boys State - was founded by Illinois legionnaires in 1935 to counter anti-American sentiment. Initially, the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield hosted the gathering.

Illini Girls State was formed in 1937. The American Legion offers both programs annually in every state but Hawaii.

Premier Boys State will be held June 10-16 and Illini Girls State June 18-24. Rising seniors can apply at legion.org/boysnation/about. Northbrook students should cite American Legion Post 791 as their sponsoring post.

Nationally, Boys State alumni include film critic Roger Ebert, NBA legend Michael Jordan, former President Bill Clinton and astronaut Neil Armstrong.

"Many people have gone there who have been involved with government and leadership positions throughout the country. I wish I'd have done it," Karol said.

David Boyle did. Glenbrook North's coordinator of college counseling attended the 1983 Utah Boys State. Though he lost his mayoral election by 1 vote right down party lines, he thought it was great.

"It has been something that has resonated with me since then," Boyle said. "It left a good, solid impact on me in terms of learning with a bunch of other students my age, peers from all over the state of Utah, the political system. Not only local, but statewide and federal."

Spartans senior Ishrak Jalaluddin attended last year, intrigued after watching the documentary. He still communicates in a group chat with the boys from his "county."

"I feel toward them like they're really good friends of mine, to this day," Jalaluddin said.

He said the boys would get up, get dressed in their "Class As" and go outside for morning roll call and flag raising, then return to put on their regular clothes and have breakfast.

Activities varied. There were speeches, elections, governmental meetings, legislation proposed, candidates seeking signatures on petitions. He noted classes on lobbying and law enforcement, team-building challenges, sports, quiz competitions. The full schedule is available at illinoisboysstate.org.

What struck Jalaluddin were the "human aspects" of government.

"Being social and interacting with other people is an inherent part of government. It's kind of what government is," he said. "What Boys State really taught me, is it got me to experience what it's like to work with other people in the context of where we are kind of controlling what the outcome is."

His highlight came at the end of the week when each county gathered to nominate two of its members as "model citizens." His county instead nominated every member.

"We were each motivated to do our very best because we cared about each other a lot," Jalaluddin said.

Junior Euben Ko, opinions editor for the Glenbrook North Torch, a member of the Spartans swim team and a student in the Glenbrook Academy of International Studies, signed up for 2023 Illinois Premier Boys State. He'd heard about it from friends and their parents.

He's more keen on law as a career, but also likes political science. He wants to contribute to a goal at Boys State, and he wants to learn from student leaders.

"I'm excited to see the people from across the state, and also to simulate government in the way they have it set up for us, and I think it's going to be a good experience," Ko said.

But there is trouble in Illinois Premier Boys State and in Illini Girls State.

Christopher Benigno, the program's chair and executive director out of Romeoville Post 52, and like Karol a veteran, said about 1,200 boys participated annually until numbers starting dropping in the 1970s.

In 2019, 462 boys attended Illinois Premier Boys State. After the COVID-19 pandemic suspended it in 2020 and 2021, last year there were 162 boys. As of April 18, 125 boys had signed up.

"I don't know if people know it's there," Benigno said.

Ko is one of two Glenbrook North boys to have enlisted through American Legion Post 791. Several others have enlisted regionally from Highland Park, Des Plaines, and Evanston.

Dee Phillips, secretary and treasurer of the legion's Auxiliary Unit, said she'd received no applications for Girls State.

She thinks that's sad.

"Because it's such a wonderful program. There's so many things that are offered to the high schools locally that I guess it's just overlooked in a lot of ways," she said.

Karol agreed.

"There's just so many things to do in an urban area that it just gets lost in the shuffle," he said. "The students that have come back from there, we've asked them to tell us about their experience.

Every one of them has come back and has said it's just a tremendous experience."

Enticements include nearly $20,000 in scholarship money, a lifetime membership for just $20 in a new alumni association and, for two worthy state senators, a free trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in American Legion Boys Nation.

Benigno sees other benefits, such as networking that could lead to a job - and even deeper results.

"It's just a great feeling when you have a young man come up to you, shake your hand and say, 'I think this program has saved my life.' I've had that happen to me," Benigno said.