The Washington State Senate is currently accepting applications for the 2018 Senate Page Program, where students ages 14 to 16 spend one week at the Capitol working in the Senate. Sen. John Braun encourages students to apply for the program, which provides a front-row seat to the legislative process.

“With one of the finest page programs in the country, local students can learn how decisions made in Olympia impact their community back home,” said Braun, R-Centralia, who represents Washington’s 20th Legislative District, which includes parts of Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis and Thurston Counties. “Pages pack a once-in-a-lifetime experience into one week and play an important role in keeping things running smoothly. For many the highlight is the chance to draft their own bill and work to pass it in a mock floor debate.”

While at the Capitol, students are responsible for transporting documents between offices and delivering messages and mail. Pages spend time in the Senate chamber helping lawmakers by delivering bills and amendments and attend page school to learn about parliamentary procedure and the legislative process.

The 2018 regular legislative session goes from January 8th through March 9th. In addition to completing an application, students must also obtain a letter of recommendation from a teacher, principal, advisor, or mentor.

Details on the program, an application, and an informational video can be found via the Senate Page Program web site.

Pages must be sponsored by one of their local state lawmakers. Students can contact Braun’s office about sponsorship by calling 360-786-7638 or sending an email to John.Braun@leg.wa.gov.