FARMINGTON – More than 70 seventh- and eighth-graders from Farmington, Jay and Rangeley schools learned more about the state legislative process Monday at the 9th annual Youth Summit at Franklin Memorial Hospital.

Aimed at teaching students that their voices matter, the event showed them how to advocate for a cause and how they can make a difference, said Nicole Ditata, program coordinator for the Healthy Community Coalition.

The theme was Voices of our Youth.

After state Rep. Thomas Saviello of Wilton shared how a bill becomes a law and how youth can influence the passing of laws, two bills expected to come before the Legislature’s next session were explained to the students.

One calls for nutritional information to be included on menus at some restaurants, and the other calls for providing physical activity in classrooms. Students broke into groups to plan their own testimony on the proposals before local legislators in a mock legislative session.

Denise Whitley, director of advocacy for the American Heart Association, discussed the physical activity bill while Becky Smith, executive director of Health Policy Partners, worked with the students on menu labeling.

“Menu labeling is a good idea. It helps people understand what they are eating. I had no idea how unhealthy one of their examples was,” said Jay Middle School student Alexa Fryover as her group worked to plan their support of the bill.

A couple students from Rangeley were also preparing a testimony in support of the bill.

“It would give people choices. Sometimes there’s a lot of calories in one choice and people could immediately pick another option,” said Jenny Abbott of Rangeley.

If students become interested in presenting their views before a legislative committee next spring, a group will be taken to Augusta, said a coalition staff member.

The Healthy Community Coalition has chosen a variety of topics over the past years for the annual youth summit. Last year, participants worked on youth resiliency and how to take a stand for what they believe, she said.

Students volunteer to participate in the daylong event, Ditata said.