ST. PAUL – Rep. Dean Urdahl, R-Acton Township, encourages high school juniors to seize a rare opportunity to spend a week working behind the scenes at the Capitol as a House page.
Applications to the high school page program are now open for the 2020 session, with a Nov. 21 deadline.
High school pages attend meetings with legislators, constitutional officers, members of the judiciary and others. Pages also assist members and staff during House floor sessions, participate in mock committee hearings and more.
A dozen, week-long slots are available from mid-February until mid-May and stipends are available to defray expenses.
“The House’s page program provides students with extraordinary access to the legislative process, an experience which brings real-world insight to how our government functions,” Urdahl said. “As someone who has been a leading advocate for civics education, it is hard to imagine a better opportunity for students to learn about our state government than to actually work alongside elected officials and others at the Capitol. I highly recommend students in our area give this program a look.”
The House of Representatives page program has been in place for more than 40 years and Minnesota is one of only a select few states in the nation to offer this program, providing young people with such an in-depth look into state government.
Program participants are selected through a formal process which includes an application, faculty recommendation and an essay.
More information is available by logging on to www.house.mn and clicking the “High School Page Program” link near the bottom of the site, or by calling (651) 296-7452. Local schools also can provide further assistance.
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