Written By: Capital Classroom
Quick Facts and Frequently Asked Questions:
The Parent and Applicant FAQ is an introduction to the program application, selection process and most commonly asked questions about serving as a Senate Page.
The Parent and Teacher FAQ is a resource to assist parents and educators with coordinating school assignments during a legislative session.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION pertaining to COVID-19
Introduction:
The Senate Page Program is a dynamic, engaging and educational experience that honors and preserves the tradition of service to the legislature. Senate Pages have served the upper chamber of the legislature since at least 1850.
The experience today is designed to provide a foundation of knowledge for the next generation of administrators, managers, elected-officials and civic leaders. Structured similar to a college preparatory program, organized learning activities compliment the day-to-day duties of all Senate Pages. Members of each class are expected to fully participate in all program components with a positive, respectful, and can-do attitude. Failure to do so will result in dismissal.
The mission of the Senate Page Program is to facilitate a structured environment in which young Virginians accept responsibility and accountability, develop professional characteristics through strict standards of conduct and engage in the legislative process through work, observation and discussion.
Program Components:
The Senate Page Program is structured around three primary components:
The Responsible Young Professional: Each Senate Page will be tasked with various job assignments such as staffing committee meetings (in a backup clerk capacity), answering telephone calls, providing basic concierge services and speaking to the public or visiting delegations about their experience and role in the legislative process. Assignments are delegated to the Senate Page class using a team approach with an emphasis on exceptional standards of service.
The Evolving Leader: The class will engage in team building scenarios designed to enhance leadership and decision-making skills. Our professional development track centers on topics relevant to young adults today. In addition to meeting elected officials, we immerse the class in sessions pertaining to etiquette, money management, cyber security, current events, and life after the Senate Page Program. Weekly reading and journaling is also required.
The Civic-Minded Young Adult: Senate Page service extends beyond the confines of Capitol Square. Each class is required to complete a community service project as a team. The Senate Page Program partners with a local non-profit group that serves approximately three-dozen counties across the Commonwealth.
The education acquired through these components serves as preparation for the program capstone. The capstone is a mock legislative session, a one-hour debate in which the class will demonstrate what they learned about the legislative process. Senate Pages switch roles with legislators to openly debates topics on which they voted in mock committee. Legislators serve the mock floor session in a Senate Page-like capacity.
Program Schedule and Absenteeism from School:
Pursuant to the Constitution of Virginia, the legislature convenes on the second Wednesday in January for 46 calendar days in odd-numbered years and 60 calendar days in even-numbered years. Those who receive admission to the Senate Page Program report each Sunday evening and depart each Friday at Noon during the legislative session. Residency in a hotel is required. Admission to the program requires a full commitment on the part of the student and his/her parents for the duration of a legislative session.
Admission to the Senate Page Program is an excused absence from school. Absenteeism for Senate Pages is addressed in sections 8VAC20-110-40 and 8VAC20-110-50 of the Virginia Administrative Code. If you are selected to the program, your school will need to make the appropriate notation in their records system.
Requirements for Consideration:
Applicants should discuss the program requirements and demands as a family prior to starting the application. In addition, the applicant must also discuss the program with the appropriate school personnel such as principals, school counselors and teachers.
Applicants seeking admission must be 13 or 14 years of age on the first day of session (second Wednesday in January) and a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
All components of the online application must be completed by the applicant, with the assistance of parents/legal guardians.
Application Review, Selection and Notification:
Members of the Senate, on a rotating basis, along with Senate leaders, appoint 26 Senate Pages each session. Additional Senate Pages are appointed by the Clerk of the Senate. This process is very different than the House Page Program, so decisions are typically released in mid-December. All applicants will receive notification from the Senate Clerk’s Office.
Graduates from the Senate Page Program are well-positioned for consideration into high school and college leadership programs; in particular, those facilitated by the Sorenson Institute of Political Leadership at University of Virginia, programs administered through the American Legion, and the U.S. Senate Page Program.
SENATE OF VIRGINIA PAGE PROGRAM APPLICATION
Thank you for your interest in the Senate Page Program. The online application for the 2022 Legislative Session is now available.
The deadline for online application submissions is Monday, October 18, 2021 at 5:00 p.m.(EST).
If you have any further questions, please e-mail: [email protected].
HOUSE OF DELEGATES 2022 PAGE PROGRAM APPLICATION
Thank you for your interest in the House of Delegates Page Program. The online application for the 2022 Legislative Session now available.
The deadline for online application submissions is Monday, November 1, 2021, at 5 p.m. (EST). There are no exceptions to this deadline.
Page applicants must be 13 or 14 years old on January 12, 2022, to be eligible.
NOTE: All accepted House of Delegates Page Program applicants must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by December 24, 2021, which is 2 weeks prior to estimated arrival of January 9, 2022. Selected House pages are required to present their CDC COVID-19 vaccination record card.
Continue to the next section to learn more about the House Page Program.
HOUSE OF DELEGATES PAGE PROGRAM INFORMATION FOR 2022
Please use this Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) PDF to find answers to some of our most frequently asked questions regarding the House of Delegates Page Program.
Each year the Speaker of the House of Delegates appoints 13- and 14-year-olds from across the Commonwealth to serve as House pages during the regular session of the General Assembly. These young people assist the members of the House of Delegates, the House Clerk’s staff, and other legislative staff in the daily duties required for the successful operation of the House of Delegates during the session.
The page workday begins promptly at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 5:00 p.m. A lunch break is provided. There is no weekend work except for the last Saturday of session. Pages deliver documents throughout the Capitol complex and perform errands for members and staff of the House of Delegates during each day’s floor session and at committee meetings. Pages are also selected for assignments in specific House offices including the Speaker’s Office, the Clerk’s Office, the Bill Room, and the Copy Center. Pages are trained for these assignments during the first two days of their employment. Every effort is made to provide each page with a variety of work assignments. All work assignments are important to the legislative process and should be performed in a professional manner.
While at work pages are under the supervision of the House Clerk, the Chief Communications Officer, the Information and Communications Services Director, the Page Coordinators. After work pages have approximately two hours of unsupervised free time from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. reserved for eating dinner. It is mandatory that all pages reside at the hotel. There are two chaperones on duty at the hotel from 5:00 p.m. until 8:30 a.m. each day, Sunday through Friday.
A mandatory study hall is held at the hotel every Monday through Thursday evening from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Certified teachers supervise the pages and help individual students as needed. Study hall teachers do not provide classroom instruction and do not administer tests and exams. Pages are responsible for arranging with their schools and teachers the preferred method of taking tests and exams. They must also make arrangements with their schools and teachers to maintain their schoolwork, including any tutoring that is required. Pages are responsible for making their own weekend travel arrangements.
It is important that prospective pages understand that they are to conduct themselves in an adult manner and should always be on their best behavior as they are representing their delegates, families, and schools. Serving as a page is a wonderful experience and an educational opportunity. However, it is also a 40-hour per week paid position for which they are making a firm commitment to report to work every day. Requests for time off to participate in extracurricular activities will not be granted. Their commitment requires hard work, initiative, responsibility, and a positive attitude. The Speaker and the Clerk expect excellent behavior from the pages and rely on a strong support network between the pages, their families, teachers, and the Clerk’s staff. Pages not conducting themselves in an appropriate manner will be disciplined as required, which may include removal from the program.
The Speaker’s Office and the Clerk’s Office staffs strive to ensure that each page’s employment with the House of Delegates is both enjoyable and educational.
If you have questions about the House of Delegates Page Program, contact Elizabeth Mancano, House of Delegates Clerk’s Office at (804) 698-1502 or [email protected].
Recent Comments