Prospective Senate Page Portal

The following information may assist you with completing an application for the Senate Page Program.  

The Virginia General Assembly is a bicameral legislature.  The House Page Program, administered by the House Clerk’s Office, is a separate program that requires completion of a different application. In addition, the selection process, program components and protocols for the House Page Program differ from the Senate.        

Each Senate Page will be expected to fully participate with reading, journal writing/critical thinking, team building, guest speakers and group discussion assignments through the program’s professional development track.   In addition, the track also includes field trips to historical sites and other educational venues. The track changes on a yearly basis and is designed to engage students from various public, private and home school environments. Each Senate Page will maintain a binder in which written assignments, team building simulations and notes from required readings and discussions will be kept.  

The professional development track is organized similar to a college course syllabus. Content varies year to year. A copy is issued prior to the start of session to allow for maximum planning and time management throughout the program. Excluding field trips, night events and other learning opportunities through work assignments, the track equals approximately 4 ½ to 6 hours of classroom-like activity per week for a Senate Page. Each component of the track is purposely designed with a young professional in mind. 

Required Reading: Each Senate Page must read the Constitution of Virginia.  Typically, the required reading is divided up in two Articles per week.  The class will participate in 30-minute independent reading each Monday afternoon to complete the assigned reading.  Note taking is required.    

Journal Writing / Critical Thinking: The professional development track includes legislative words of the day, words of the week and a few critical thinking timed writings.  

• Word of the Day:  Prior to the start of morning procedure, the class will receive a legislative word and a definition.    

• Words of the Week:  Prior to the start of morning procedure each Monday morning, the class will receive three words of the week.   For example:  Helpful, generous and proactive.  By the end of the week, each page should have written down an example of where he or she observed those words in their day-to-day responsibilities.    

• In class timed writing followed by discussion. My Page in History: How do you want to be remembered as a Virginia Senate Page?  1 page in length.

Assignments such as these are kept in a required spiral-bound notebook.

Team Building: Each Page class is divided into three or four teams for the duration of session. A team building exercise may be 30 minutes long or two hours. Sample exercises include the following:

• 21st Century High School: Design and build a 21st century high school complete with a budget, building design and curriculum.    

• Virginia Tourism Project: Identify a theme for your campaign to engage possible tourists to visit our beautiful beaches, lovely mountains and major cities.  

Program Partners: The class will hear from bankers, lobbyists, elected officials, college and university representatives, attorneys, alumni of the program and other professionals who will speak about topics relevant to future young professionals.  Note taking is encouraged. 

Group Discussion: Time permitting, the class will engage in group discussions with their team leaders or a member of the Senate staff about daily headlines, current events, guest speakers or debate that occurred during a floor session.

Participants in the Senate Page Program are urged to discuss the professional development track with their instructors, as many of those assignments may serve as a suitable substitute for homework or other class assignments a student is missing at school.  Refer to the working with your school tip sheet, and be sure to include this in the discussion.

A sample excerpt is available below. The agenda is modeled after a college syllabus, so each participant has a list of all planned structured activities for the session before arriving for orientation. The content changes yearly based on the length of session and guest availability.