Parent Information
Learn more about the opportunities available to your child and what to expect at the American Legion Buckeye Boys State program.
About Buckeye Boys State
The American Legion Buckeye Boys State program is an eight-day hands-on experience in personal and leadership development taught through the operation of government, political parties, and elections. It is hosted at Miami University, where delegates reside in the university residence halls and use university facilities throughout the week.
During their junior year of high school, students interview for the opportunity to attend the following summer. Students are sponsored by local American Legion posts, allowing them to attend at no cost to the student or family.
WHAT CAN MY child EXPECT?
Students selected to attend the program, “delegates”, will interact with other incoming high school seniors from across the State of Ohio. In the first couple of days, they will have completed multiple political caucuses, conducted elections, and will begin operating their own government.
Outside of the day-to-day schedule, there are additional opportunities available to students such as a College Fair (represented by 50+ colleges and service academies), various Awards & Scholarships throughout the week, visits from actual Ohio Government elected officials often including the Governor, and more.
How to become a delegate
Across the state of Ohio, many American Legion posts will be conducting interviews in local high schools to select their delegates to sponsor. These interviews normally happen in the winter/spring time.
Please ask your school administrators, guidance counselors, and/or history teachers if Buckeye Boys State interviews are being conducted at your school.
If there is not a Legion Post interviewing at your local school, let us know on our contact form and we are happy to get in touch.
contact at the program
-Delegates are more than welcome to contact you before lights out at 11pm. There are occasions during the Boys State program when delegates will be
requested not to use cell phones or other electronic devices out of respect for memorial services and other solemn events.
-Parents who need to contact a delegate for emergency reasons may contact the Buckeye Boys State Headquarters office at 513-529-3860
The Buckeye Boys State office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily.
A telephone message form will be sent to the delegate through the City Counselor. Immediate attempts will be made to contact the delegate in the event of an emergency.
After business hours, messages may be left on the Boys State office answering machine. Calls will be returned as soon as possible.
If an emergency situation exists after business hours, please contact the Miami University Police Department at 513-529-2222. MUPD will contact the proper Boys State Officials.
– If you are wishing to ship a package or write a letter to your child, the proper address information is below!
UPS and FedEx deliveries for you are brought to the Boys State
Headquarters office for distribution.
The UPS / FedEx delivery address for Boys State will be:
American Legion Buckeye Boys State
(DELEGATE NAME) – (DELEGATE BOYS STATE CITY)
c/o Miami University Conference Center
701 E. Spring St.
Oxford, OH 45056
The USPS mailing address is:
(NAME)
(BOYS STATE CITY)
Buckeye Boys State
Oxford, OH 45056