Boys/Girls State is typically staffed by Legion Family members, past participants, and/or community leaders who volunteer their time and effort. Administrative costs are defrayed by their state Legion organizations and local businesses. Each state's program varies, but generally program participants are divided into subgroups referred to as cities or towns. Most programs will assign citizens to one of two
political parties. These parties are generally not representative of existing American parties. Delegates in many programs meet as parties and craft their own unique
party platforms from scratch. Some parties carry their platforms over from year to year. Although most programs assign citizens randomly to a political party, a few programs have an ideological sorting mechanism to place delegates in a political party with others holding similar views. The citizens of each of these cities elect mock
municipal officials, county officials, and representatives to the mock
state legislature. Many programs also have a
county level as well. The participants also elect state officials, such as
governor,
lieutenant governor, and other state-level officials mirroring their actual state. The legislature meets to organize, elect leaders, and to pass
bills, in a way that is similar to how their actual state legislature operates. Some programs tend to have a more traditional education focus, providing speakers and training throughout the week and then concluding with mock political functions. Other programs take a more hands-on approach by running the mock government activities all week. American Legion chaplains host an interdenominational Christian
church service for participants on Sunday, prior to graduation from Boys State or Girls State. All programs generally follow a similar pattern, but vary by state. Some states (e.g.
Nebraska) hold
mock trials with the participants volunteering as
lawyers,
accused, and
juries. Some states include a
journalism component that represents the
Fourth Estate in the political process.
North Dakota includes a classroom-based emergency management simulation that requires participants to respond to various large-scale disasters by managing communication, resources and personnel. Other programs include creative and fun activities such as
band,
choir,
talent shows, and athletic competition. Some of the programs (e.g.,
New Mexico) host a
dance during the week, inviting high school girls/boys from the area to attend. The
Oregon program has moved away from using any mock systems to a completely simulated "State of Christensen" with its own law and order system that grows yearly and is passed on to the consecutive year. Boys State and Girls State honors programs are held in each of the
U.S. states (except
Hawaii where there is only a Girls State program), usually at a
college within that state. There is a coed Boys/Girls State session held in
Washington, D.C., which is sponsored by both the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary.
California has a coeducational program called "California Boys and Girls State" run by the American Legion. California Girls State continues as a separate program run by the American Legion Auxiliary. With exceptions, including but not limited to California, male and female programs are held separately, but at least nine states—
Georgia, Nebraska, Oregon,
Louisiana,
Massachusetts,
Pennsylvania,
New Hampshire,
Rhode Island,
Maine, and
Missouri—host Boys and Girls State on the same campus on the same week. ==Selection==