Sen. Joe Fain, R-Auburn, is inviting students ages 14 to 16 from the 47th District to apply to become Senate pages in Olympia. The legislative session runs through late April and applications are being accepted now.

“The Senate page program is an opportunity for students to get firsthand experience of how state government works,” Fain said. “The program allows students to gain a better understanding of how their government functions.”

Each page is sponsored by a senator during his or her one-week stay in Olympia. The student will receive compensation and work a regular business day. During their time in Olympia, pages deliver messages and documents around the Capitol campus, run errands and page in the Senate chamber. The students also attend page school for two hours each day. At page school, they learn about the legislative process, state government and engage in a mock bill exercise. During the bill exercise the students get a chance to take the law into their own hands by drafting a mock bill and completing a mock committee hearing.

“Students leave the campus not only with a unique perspective on state government but with new experiences, new friends and a new appreciation for the legislative process,” Fain said. “I look forward to sponsoring pages from my district.”

As Senate page positions are limited, Fain encourages all students to take this one-of-a-kind opportunity and apply. To find out more about the page program or apply to be a page, visit www.leg.wa.gov/Senate/Administration/PageProgram/Pages/default.aspx.

Students may download an application from the site, fill it out and send it to Fain’s Olympia office: P.O. Box 40445, Olympia, WA 98504-0445.