Washington State Legislative Youth Advisory Council

The Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) is the only nonpartisan youth-led committee empowered by state law to represent the official voice of Washington youth to the Legislature. It is entirely student-led, and co-administered by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and the Washington State Leadership Board. Each year, a select group of 14-18 year old students from a diverse range of political, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds are appointed to the council by the Lt. Governor’s Office with the help of existing members. On the council, students spend two years learning about and engaging directly with the legislative process by making meaningful policy recommendations to the Legislature. Established in 2005 as the brainchild of then-12 year old Alex Jonlin, a semi-finalist for the Harvard Kennedy School's Innovations in Government award, LYAC is enduring proof of teenagers' ability to make change in their communities. From lobbying legislators, to hosting events with hundreds of young people from across the state, to traveling around the state teaching civic engagement workshops, LYAC aims to leave an enduring legacy on the lives of youth across the state with its work.