This year the South Whidbey American Legion Auxiliary Post 141 is sending six girls as representatives to the Evergreen Girls State Program.

Zoe Hill, Zora Lungren, Michela Mattens, Anna Statz, Lauren Stelling and Ana Weeks are participating in the program, which runs through June 14.

Girls State provides citizenship training for girls of junior high school age and is conducted on a “learn by doing” basis where the selected delegates learn the mechanics of city, county and state government, and the functioning of political parties and a state legislature.

There are 15 cities, four counties and two political parties, and each citizen is assigned to a city and political party, either the Nationalist or Federalist parties. The students learn the advantages and disadvantages of the two-party system as they form political parties, develop platforms and candidates, hold elections and run a legislature after the vote.

South Whidbey Legion Auxiliary Post 141 sponsored two girls last year at Girls State; Veronica Brown and Eva Denka.

The auxiliary thanks its contributors to the Girls State Program, a list that includes South Whidbey Kiwanis, Whidbey Water Services, Porter Whidbey Insurance, Coldwell Banker Tara Properties and the Eagles Aerie 3418.

Terry Campbell, Post 141 Girls State chairman, also thanked South Whidbey High School counselor Sue Koffkin for her support.