On January 28th fifteen Career Advantage participants and seven staff members traveled to the West Virginia state capitol in Charleston, WV for the annual “Kids and Families Day.”
Kids and Families day is an annual event to bring awareness to the West Virginia Legislature about the “Our Children Our Future” campaign and the needs of working families and kids in the state. “Our Children Our Future” is a statewide campaign of over 150 organizations working together to end child poverty in West Virginia.
The Career Advantage participants listened to a kick-off speech that included special guests, Senator Kessler, Senate President- Bill Cole, and Secretary of State-Natalie Tennant. The participants were able to explore the inside of the capitol building and were able to observe legislative sessions. Participants were encouraged to search for their delegates and senators.
A small group of participants was able to visit the office of Donna Boley, WV Senator for Pleasants, Wirt, Wood, and Roane (partial) counties and have their picture taken in her office. Multiple participants have registered to vote since attending the event last week. The visit has encouraged many of the youth to research and get involved in legislative issues within their counties.
After their time at the State Capitol, participants were treated to a meal at Hibachi Japanese Steakhouse and for many, it was their very first time having a meal at a dine-in restaurant.
