Schools of Instruction

Campaigning and Political Operations
This school of instruction teaches strategies on how to be elected and then what to do after you have been elected. It 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 for the general public. This school is also in charge of analyzing the Public Opinion Poll, identifying the issues important to the students here at Boy’s State. The course is taught by qualified instructors who have worked for various consulting firms. The school is designed for Lobbyists, Campaign Managers, and anyone else interested in learning more about leading a successful campaign. Dean is Steve Grand.

Law Enforcement
This area gives citizens a look at the day-to-day activities of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The school is taught by members of the Patrol, which has had a longtime affiliation with Boys State. Topics covered will include various aspects of crime prevention and the responsibilities of a law enforcement official. Citizens will be trained in arrest and trial procedures, which they will apply when elected or appointed to law enforcement jobs at Boys State. They also will be updated on the latest and most effective methods of police work used by the Highway Patrol.

Law
The Law School of Instruction set up like a regular law school, teaching basic trial procedure, criminal law, legal pleadings, civil actions, and the role of the Attorney General. Any aspiring lawyer or judge attend this school and are even required to pass a Bar Exam before being able to practice law, just like in the real world. The citizens who attend this school eventually run the Boy’s State Court System. The Dean of the Law School is Andrew Johnson.

Legislative
The legislative school is for hopeful legislatures who want to learn how the legislative system works, at the city and state level. Any member of the Senate or House of Representatives is required to attend this school in order to have the knowledge to succeed in legislation. They also learn the procedures and processes going into passing a bill, including Parliamentary Procedure. The Dean of this school is Bruce Dotson.

Journalism
Perhaps the most diverse of the Schools of Instruction is the Journalism School. The students learn about ethics, the role of the media in politics, and basic processes that go into reporting news. Then, the students split into three different mediums: newspaper, radio, and T.V., where the students get more in depth training in the various fields by creating daily papers and broadcasts in real, authentic studios. This is a very unique experience from the citizens and feel real- life situations such as deadlines and selection processes. The Dean of the Journalism school is Matt Flener.

Public Administration
The Public Administration School combines aspects from each other School of Instruction to give an overview of how democracy really works. It’s a more broad area of study rather than selecting an emphasis on one specific area. All Mayors are required to attend Democracy Academy to get a wide range of knowledge to help run their city and lead them to Model City. They learn from taking looks at real- life community scenarios and watching how different various governmental agencies work on these scenarios.