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The University of North Georgia (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Center for Civic Engagement to support its Youth in Government (YIG) Expo in March 2026.

Students, faculty and staff from Â鶹ÊÓƵ volunteered as part of the 2025 YIG Expo in St. Simons Island, Georgia. This MOU marks a more formal agreement for Â鶹ÊÓƵ to help plan and execute the event that helps high school students learn more about potential careers.

"We are excited to be the first university partner for the Center, and we see this as a great opportunity to work with youth who are primed for leadership," Dr. Sheri Hardee, dean of the College of Education, said. "As a State Leadership Institution, we should be recruiting youth who are eager to be engaged in civic leadership, and this is a space where that commitment to civic engagement is born."

Dr. Lindsay Linsky, professor of middle, secondary and P12 education, said the MOU ties in with a trio of the university's strategic big bets:

• Get in the national security game.
• Supercharge workforce development.
• Deliver the Corps of Cadets of the future.

"The Center for Civic Engagement is an ideal partner since they are well aligned with multiple strategic big bets. As the official Georgia Department of Education career and technical student organization for JROTC and the public service and safety pathway, they have a huge reach into schools across the state," Linsky said. "Also, they now have a national footprint since their reputation in encouraging K-12 civic engagement and leadership is so strong and other states are coming to them to replicate their programs. This MOU will offer exciting opportunities for our students and faculty."

Dr. Randell E. Trammell, national president and CEO of the Center for Civic Engagement, expressed gratitude for the collaboration with Â鶹ÊÓƵ.

"We see education as a continuum, and we best serve our students by partnering with higher education institutions such as Â鶹ÊÓƵ to provide opportunities for mentorship with college students, connection with world-class faculty and a glimpse into the careers they may want to pursue. We are delighted for this partnership," Trammell said.

Cadet Vincent Furtado, a senior from Anaheim, California, pursuing a degree in modern languages with a concentration in Chinese for global professionals, was one of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ students who assisted with the YIG Expo in 2025.

"This experience was extremely impactful for me because I was able to work in a role that I wish I had seen when I was in high school. Being able to represent the university, Corps of Cadets and Chinese Flagship was a very humbling experience, and watching those who came to participate in the expo get excited about the opportunities that are open to them made me feel grateful," Furtado said. "This came full circle as well, as one of the participants actually ended up coming to Â鶹ÊÓƵ, and seeing him grow and develop here has made me extremely proud."