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Student Government Day Program

2012 Student Government Day Registration

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will hold the 65th annual Student Government on Friday, April 13, 2012 at the State House in Boston. The day will begin with the check-in at 8:30 a.m. and will conclude at 1:00 p.m.

This statutory program encourages students from Massachusetts public and private high schools to learn about the structure of state government, to become engaged citizens, and to develop an understanding of the rights and responsibilities that we share in a democracy. Students will assemble at the State House where most of them will replicate activities of the General Court (Massachusetts State Legislature), while others will meet as constitutional officers and members of the Supreme Judicial Court.

The first week of November is an ideal time for high schools to conduct elections to select students to attend Student Government Day. High schools may elect one student designee and one student alternate. To be eligible, a student must be a junior or a senior and must not have participated in Student Government Day in a past year. High schools are encouraged to hold school-wide elections and to conduct them in the spirit of M.G.L. Chapter 6, Section 12M, which states, "Such elections shall be conducted under the supervision of the principals … and insofar as possible, shall be conducted as are elections of members of the General Court."

Once the students have been elected, the faculty advisor should register the students and the adults who will accompany them by Tuesday, January 31, 2012, using the online Student Government Day registration form.

Please note that by submitting the registration form for Student Government Day, the school assures that the selected student(s) are over the age of 14, that they have read and signed the Student Consent Form, and that the school will file the original signed consent forms, and, upon request, provide the consent forms to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Schools do not need to mail the consent forms to the Department at this time.

Administrators, faculty, and parents are welcome to attend Student Government Day. If any student or adult who plans to attend will need reasonable accommodations in order to participate in this event, please indicate that on the online registration form.

For more information, see the Student Government Day Program.

If you have any questions about Student Government Day, please write to studentgovday@doe.mass.edu .