Student YMCA

Conference on National Affairs (CONA)

For more than 50 years, students from across the country have been convening on a mountainside in North Carolina to debate the merits of national and international issues.

Each summer, Florida sends a delegation of up to 25 students to serve as representatives of our program at the YMCA Youth Conference on National Affairs (CONA). The weeklong conference is held at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly in North Carolina and serves as the nationwide culmination for each of the YMCA Youth and Government programs around the country. The conference brings together the top students from many state programs to debate proposals on issues facing our nation and world.

CONA was started in 1968 as a follow-up to the outstanding state programs in Youth and Government conducted by YMCAs throughout the United States. Youth from over 35 states participate in the Conference. This program offers an opportunity for a student to research in the area of national and international concerns, organize this information into a proposal, engage in intensive discussion, and debate these proposals with outstanding young people from other states. These proposals are put through a three-committee process, as the merits are thoroughly debated. While the discourse is a large focus of the week, it is a small part of the total experience. CONA is not a debate competition – it is a national forum for delegates to continue their leadership development.

The specific objectives of the conference include:

To gain an awareness of national concerns and issues.
To increase understanding of Federal government and its relations to state, national, and international matters.
To have and use a means for communicating concerns about national affairs to appropriate persons and groups at federal government levels.
To develop an increased understanding of needs, responsibilities, and opportunities.
To work creatively together with young adults and adults.
To help youth and adults to better understand and strengthen their values for living through the Christian objectives of the YMCA.

QUALIFICATIONS

At least one year in Youth in Government
All delegates must write a proposal and attend online CONA training before the event

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Applications will open on March 11, 2026 and close on March 26, 2026

CONFERENCE FEES, DISCOUNTS, & SCHOLARSHIPS

69th Annual Conference on National Affairs
June 26 - July 3rd, 2026 *TENTATIVE
Cost: $1250

Financial Assistance/Scholarship Application: Coming soon!