Many high school seniors are at the age when they can vote in various elections for the very first time.  Students who want to get involved in government now can apply to take part in the Ohio Attorney General’s Teen Ambassador Board. This program promotes communication and collaboration between the state’s Attorney General’s Office and teenagers.  The program allows high school seniors and juniors to learn about state government up close and personal, and encourages them to voice their opinions. Erin Kelly, one of  the Associate Assistant Attorneys General said that the TAB program provides students with an inside look at Ohio law and government.

“Board members advise the Attorney General’s Office on issues affecting teens in Ohio and work with their peers to develop solutions toward these issues. The students help drive the conversation so it’s relevant to them because it involves topics that are important to them,” she said.

In a press release published on Facebook, Ohio Attorney General Yost remarked that the teen ambassador program will benefit students who want to get involved in their local and state governments.

“Many of these young men and women are already established leaders in their schools and communities,” Yost said.

“The Teen Ambassador Board can help them hone their leadership talents as they prepare for possible careers in public service.”

Kelly described the kinds of experiences that the current student ambassadors have had this school year.

“The Teen Ambassadors have the chance to attend events at the Ohio Attorney General’s Headquarters in downtown Columbus and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations headquarters. Students also have had the opportunity to attend a press conference on the dangers of human trafficking and what the State of Ohio is doing to combat these problems,” she said.

Additionally, students have the option to participate in subcommittees, where they research various topics and present their findings and potential solutions.

“They get first-hand experience seeing how the office interacts with the media, how our BCI lab functions in handling evidence and meet with leading members of the office where they can speak honestly about issues affecting them,” said Kelly.

Lancaster High School junior Riley Doty applied for TAB last summer because she thought it would help her understand more about the AG’s office and network with other Ohio high school students.

“I joined the Attorney General Teen Ambassador program because my government teacher, Mr. Stedman, posted information about it in Google Classroom. It seemed like it would be very beneficial in learning more about the Attorney General, his job, and what he has done. Also, I wanted to touch base with other students and discuss issues that personally impact us and those around us,” said Doty.

Within TAB, high school students explore important issues that have an effect on their lives.

”Students are currently researching issues involving academic dishonesty and the use of AI, cell phone bans in schools, social media and its effects on mental health, student well-being, sustainability and environmental concerns, and how young people like our Board members can get involved with civic engagement and education,” said Kelly.

Doty said that TAB members this year have been split up into subcommittees, in which they meet and discuss certain topics.

“It is really cool to see how similar and different the experiences are between the schools all over Ohio. It also brings light to just how important civic engagement actually is, and how easily it is brushed off by teenagers. We discuss ways to implement civic engagement in our own communities, and how it would benefit us as a whole,” she said.

Doty and other TAB members took part in a televised press conference following a significant statewide human trafficking bust.

“We got firsthand accounts from survivors and were made aware of what to look for in situations. This topic is heavily overlooked, but this summit brought the importance of human trafficking awareness to the forefront of our minds.  We discussed previous stigmas and experiences with our fellow students and at the end discussed how our opinion differed after,” she said.

As the final weeks of the current TAB program begins to wrap up, Doty said she is eager to participate in the closing presentations.

“I am looking forward to our end of the year event, where we all present our specific subtopics. It wraps up on something that we have been working hard on and gives us a final plan that we can bring back and hopefully enact into our school and community,” she said.

According to the Ohio Attorney General’s Teen Ambassador Board webpage, TAB is open to high school juniors and seniors from public, private, home, charter, and online schools located in Ohio. Ideal candidates are motivated, enthusiastic, self-starters who are interested in law and government.

Students will also have the opportunity to meet with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, attend events around the state throughout the year, visit the Columbus and regional offices, interact with Assistant Attorneys General, and hear from various elected officials.

For more information and to apply for the 2026-2027 Teen Ambassador Board, students may click on the following link: https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/State-and-Local-Government/Schools/Teen-Ambassador-Board.