FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, December 12, 2012
CONTACT: Meredith Rosenthal at 302-573-6054

Senator Coons seeks applicants for Senate Page Program

Program gives a high school junior from Delaware the opportunity to live and work on Capitol Hill

WILMINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) is now accepting applications from qualified high school juniors for the Senate Page Program’s spring 2013 session.

“The Senate Page Program is a tremendous opportunity for juniors in high school to learn about the inner workings of the legislative branch first-hand,” Senator Coons said. “The Senate Page Program is steeped in history and helps encourage young people to be engaged, lifelong participants in America’s civic and political systems.”

The spring session runs from January 28 through June 7, 2013.  The deadline for submitting applications is December 21, 2012.  To be considered for the program, an applicant must be a United States citizen or subject to agreements of the Department of State and must have a Social Security number. Applicants must be a junior in high school who will be 16 years old on or before January 28, 2013. Applicants must verify a minimum grade point average of 3.0 or a home school transcript and a certification of immunization to qualify for attendance at page school. Applicants are required to be covered by health insurance; if not covered, they will be required to enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.

Pages have served in the United States Congress for more than 175 years. Thirty pages – all of them high school juniors at least 16 years old — serve in the upper chamber at any one time and are selected by sitting Senators. Their duties consist primarily of delivering correspondence and legislative material within the Capitol complex, as well as taking messages for Members, preparing the chamber for Senate sessions, and carrying bills and amendments to the Senate desk.

The Senate enrolls its pages in the Senate Page School, which is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and convenes classes in the early morning before the Senate convenes. The pages are paid a salary, from which automatic deductions are made for taxes, Social Security, and a fee for housing and meals.

Students interested in applying should contact Senator Coons’ Wilmington office at 302-573-6345 or email Latisha Bracy at latisha_bracy@coons.senate.gov to obtain an application and for additional information about the Senate Page Program.

###