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All citizens will participate in specialized courses of instruction during their week at Missouri Boys State and choose to attend one of the following schools of instruction listed below. The staff of each School of Instruction is comprised of "real-life" professionals and experts in their respective fields. As the week progresses, citizens use this specialized instruction to design, enact, and evaluate their own municipal, county, and state government operations at Missouri Boys State. Citizens also have the opportunity to earn college credit from Lindenwood University for their studies after successfully participating in the program and passing a rigorous examination on Friday morning.
Campaigning & Political Operations
The Campaigning & Political Operations School teaches campaigning strategies, how to use the media as a persuasive tool, how to deliver interesting and convincing speeches, and how to create positive perceptions of candidates and organizations among the general public. This school is also responsible for analyzing the annual Missouri Boys State Public Opinion Poll, which identifies issues important to citizens. The school is designed for political party leaders, candidates seeking statewide office, campaign managers, political consultants, and anyone else interested in learning more about how to successfully navigate the political campaigning process.
Commerce
The Commerce School serves as the main economic engine at Missouri Boys State. Citizens learn the basic characteristics and operations of an interdependent economy, how businesses function within the economy, and how the intersection of private and public interests influences the wider economy and those operating within it. Members of the Missouri Boys State Chamber of Commerce who attend this school along with interested businessowners work with other governmental entities and agencies across Missouri Boys State to create and sustain the conditions needed for a robust economy that serves both public and private interests.
Education
The Education School is for citizens interested in education and educational policy and examines the activities of teachers, administrators, school boards, legislators, and others with direct and indirect interests in our educational systems. The school is taught by education professionals, such as current teachers and administrators, and is particularly well-suited for citizens interested in becoming educators at the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels in the future. Key issues discussed include the fundamentals of education and the structure and role of educational systems in today’s world.
International Affairs
The International Affairs School centers on foreign affairs, including diplomacy and global politics. With emphases on United States foreign policy and our increasingly globalized world, citizens who attend this school learn from professionals working in an array of areas, such as trade associations, federal and state governmental entities, and private organizations. Key issues discussed include the United States’ role on the global stage and the current and future status of entities like the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.
Journalism & Media
The Journalism & Media School serves as the main media apparatus at Missouri Boys State. Citizens discuss newsgathering and newswriting, the role of the media in politics, journalist ethics, and evaluating news and bias. Citizens then gain practice using up to three different media: newspaper, radio/podcasting, and television, where they get hands-on training by professionals in each medium by creating daily newspapers, podcasts, and radio and television broadcasts in real, authentic studios.
Law
The Law School is designed like a college-level law school, teaching basic trial procedure, criminal law, legal pleadings, and civil actions. Any aspiring lawyer or judge must attend this school, and citizens are required to pass the Missouri Boys State Bar Exam in order to practice law, just like in the real world. Citizens who attend this school eventually run the Missouri Boys State Court System, which consists of municipal and county courts along with the Supreme Court of Missouri Boys State.
Law Enforcement & Public Safety
The Law Enforcement & Public Safety School offers a look into the daily work of various public safety agencies around Missouri and the United States, such as the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The school is taught by public safety professionals, such as members of the Patrol, and topics discussed include aspects of crime prevention and investigation, responsibilities of law enforcement officials, and providing for the public’s safety. Citizens will be trained in procedures to protect civil liberties, which they then apply as elected or appointed law enforcement and public safety officials at Missouri Boys State.
Legislative & Executive Policy
The Legislative & Executive Policy School is for citizens elected to the Missouri Boys State House of Representatives and Senate, appointed to state-level positions by the Governor, those interested in lobbying, or those who want to learn how the legislative system works. All members of the Missouri Boys State House of Representatives or Senate along with most state-level appointed officials are required to attend this school. Citizens learn the processes needed to draft and pass bills and resolutions, including parliamentary procedure, and how to work between branches of government to identify and address policy priorities.
Local Government & Policy School
The Local Government & Policy School focuses on how democracy and citizenship work at the municipal level with particular emphasis on city and county government. Topics discussed include the role of municipal government in the daily lives of the general public, especially in Missouri, and how municipal governmental officials can run effective cities and counties at Missouri Boys State. Citizens elected or appointed to city and county positions at Missouri Boys State, such as Mayor or City Clerk, benefit greatly from attending this school, which also helps city officials best position their city to win the coveted Harry S Truman Model City Award.
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