Government Intensives

Participants will take part in a mock presidential campaign that includes caucus work, a primary race, voter registration, fundraising, commercials, campaigning, and actual voting. Participants will be assigned to a mock political party, design their own party platform, elect their own candidates from among themselves, and raise GenJ money to buy commercials, campaign materials, advertisements, etc. Parents and other conference attendees are involved by registering to vote, donating play money (parents will be provided with the money), and by voting for their favorite candidate.

Students simulate the rigors of the electoral process by personally campaigning for a candidate of their choice. At each phase of the program, students will learn how a real election works by actually participating in the presidential race and making important decisions that could make or break their campaign.

The program is designed to be interactive, even getting parents and other attendees involved in the process. Teens will enjoy the hands-on nature that the program offers.

This program features interactive activities that simulate what a legislator encounters when he or she tries to draft and advocate legislation. Participants will have to choose between competing priorities such as personal legislative goals, the goals of his or her party, and the professional agreements he or she has made with other participants. Participants will start with drafting legislation in a small committee, and will progress to an official legislative session where they will have the chance to debate and vote on their legislation.

To round out the program, Generation Joshua staff will provide lectures focusing on Christian worldview and civic involvement and how it relates to law and public policy.

iAdvocate provides a safe atmosphere for students to learn how they respond to political pressures and gain a better understanding of how leaders make tough decisions. Ultimately, the goal of the track is to train students to be an unfailing testimony as an advocate for Christian principles as they serve their country.

This intensive simulates what a Member of Parliament encounters when they try to draft and advocate for legislation. Students begin with drafting legislation in a small committee, and will progress to an official legislative session where they will have the chance to debate and vote on their legislation. Participants will have to choose between competing priorities: personal legislative goals, the goals of their party, and the professional agreements made with other participants.

It was a case that made the headlines

The mob has murdered the daughter of a US Senator and the local brass has pulled out all the stops to find the guilty party. Accordingly, they have summoned a Federal Grand Jury to investigate the evidence and issue an indictment for murder. The problem is that there are three possible suspects. Each had opportunity, means, and possibly a motive, so who do they take to trial? That is your job. The Generation Joshua iObject teen track places you in the seat of one of the most powerful citizen judicial roles in the country, a federal Grand Jury.

The Generation Joshua iObject program puts participants on the front lines of the judicial system, allowing them to actually see the evidence that is used to bring people to trial, and the difficulties that face a system of justice. We provide a view of the justice system in the United States that is rarely seen by people but is vital to how we serve justice in the America. Students get to question witnesses, examine evidence and learn what is and is not allowed in testimony while working to solve a perplexing murder from the 1930s. We intersperse the hands on learning with discussions of what it means to be an engaged citizen, America’s Judeo-Christian Heritage, and standing up for what is right.

You determine if the prosecution has enough evidence to bring a suspect to trial or if the prosecution seems to be targeting an innocent man. The Grand Jury is a constitutional shield to prevent a prosecutor from charging someone with a crime without sufficient evidence, and also acts to ensure that the guilty are actively prosecuted. You will be given the chance to determine who is innocent and who should be charged. And maybe, just maybe, ensure justice is done. It’s not easy, but it is a crucial part of our system of justice. We invite you to attend and be part of Generation Joshua's iObject.

Grand Jury Defined

The grand jury "is a grand inquest, a body with powers of investigation and inquisition, the scope of whose inquiries is not to be limited narrowly by questions of propriety or forecasts of the probable result of the investigation, or by doubts whether any particular individual will be found properly subject to an accusation of crime."

Blair v. United States, 250 U.S. 273 (1919)

Designed as an intense foreign policy crisis simulation, the students act as members of the executive branch of government. They must respond to a variety of developing foreign crisis. The students take on roles in the State Department, Department of Defense, and national security organizations attempting to discern wise and true courses of action. An intense look at the powers of the presidency in action, and U.S. foreign policy, iCommand provides students with an opportunity to test their own idea of how the U.S. should act on the world stage and see the consequences in real time.

Joel started his life of advocacy in 6th grade, when he convinced his mother to homeschool him. He went on to work on Capitol Hill for Congressman J.C. Watts, then delved into the world of demographic research, and now serves as the Executive Director of HSLDA Action and Generation Joshua.

Today Joel travels across the U.S. training and mentoring young leaders. He draws on over 20 years of both ministry and political experience to inspire a generation that, in his opinion, will change the world.

Joel lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his wife, Christie, and their three children, as well as serving as an elected member of their local town council.

As a Colorado Springs native, Jeremiah Lorrig grew up under the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. He is a homeschool graduate with a passion to see young people engage their culture in politics and art. Jeremiah has worked in four different not for profit organizations while pursuing both his Associates of Arts Degree in Colorado and his Bachelor's Degree in Government at Patrick Henry College. As Deputy Director of HSLDA Federal Relations, Jeremiah brings his passions together as a lobbyist and advocate for homeschoolers across the country. He is also the Deputy Director of the HSLDA PAC that actively seeks pro-homeschooling candidates where they can send Generation Joshua volunteers to work on the campaign. These opportunities allow Jeremiah to teach students all across the country about practical politics, grassroots campaigning, leadership under pressure, and good citizenship.