Senate and House Page Programs
Learn about the House of Delegates Page Program further down this page. Senate Page Program information is immediately below.
Senate of Virginia Page Program Application
The application for admission to the Senate Page Program class of 2023 is now closed. The deadline to apply was 5:00 p.m. Monday, October 17, 2022. The application for admission to the class of 2024 will be available mid-summer 2023.
If you have further questions, please e-mail: pageinfo@senate.virginia.gov
Senate Page Program Overview
Quick Facts and Frequently Asked Questions:
The following tip sheets and guides will assist prospective applicants with preparing for the application process, planning for an extended school absence, and understanding various components and expectations of Senate Page service.
Application Tips Overview and Considerations School Tips Understanding the Professional Development Agenda
IMPORTANT INFORMATION pertaining to vaccinations and boosters.
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.
Virginia HOUSE OF DELEGATES PAGE PROGRAM
Please reference here the 2023 House Page Program Overview & FAQs which details the application process and requirements as well as the overall House Page program and 2023 Regular Session schedule.
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. Appointed House Pages assist the Members of the House of Delegates and the House Clerk’s Office staff in performing the daily duties required for the successful operation of the House of Delegates during session.
For those interested in applying, applicants must be 13 or 14 years old by January 11, 2023; in good academic standing; and in cooperative agreement with their school administrators and teachers for program participation. Serving as a House Page is an immersive educational opportunity that requires hard work, initiative, responsibility, and a positive attitude. Selected participants commit to working a 40-hour paid position while maintaining their individual schooling assignments and examinations. Success in the program is contingent upon a strong support network among Pages, their families, teachers, and the Page program supervisory staff and House Clerk’s Office staff.
Selected Pages will arrive in Richmond on Sunday, January 8, 2023 for program orientation. There is a mandatory residency requirement during the program at a downtown Richmond hotel nearby the Capitol and General Assembly Buildings. The session workweek begins promptly at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 5:00 p.m., with a lunch break provided – Monday through Thursday. On Fridays, the Page workday ends at 12 Noon, and Pages return home for the weekend to return by Sunday evening. Pages are responsible for coordinating their weekend travel and must submit their anticipated pick-up and return drop-off arrangements to the Page Coordinators and Chaperones.
On a typical workday, Page work assignments include delivering documents throughout the Capitol complex and campus; performing errands on behalf of House Members and the Clerk’s Office; staffing office assignments among the Clerk’s Office section divisions; and completing Chamber tasks as-assigned during daily Floor sessions. Pages are trained for these duties and responsibilities during the first two days of their employment.
Following the workday, Pages have two hours of free time from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. reserved for eating dinner. A mandatory Study Hall is held at the hotel Monday through Thursday evenings from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Certified teachers supervise the Pages and assist individual students as needed. Study Hall teachers do not provide classroom instruction and do not administer or proctor testing. Prior to the program and during its duration, Pages are responsible for arranging with their schools and teachers the preferred method of submitting completed school assignments and exams during this excused absence.
While at their daily work assignments, Pages remain under the supervision of the Page Program Coordinators, and monitored by the Page Program Chaperones during evening hotel stays.
The 2023 House Page Program Overview & FAQs contains additional program information for your planning purposes and application submission.
If you have further questions about the House of Delegates Page Program, please contact House Information and Communication Services at (804) 698-1500.
house OF DELEGATES PAGE PROGRAM APPLICATION
Thank you for your interest in the House of Delegates Page Program. The online application for the 2023 Page Program is now closed. The deadline for submitting applications was 5:00 p.m. (EDT) on Monday, October 31, 2022.
The application for the 2024 Page Program will be available in late-summer 2023. Please revisit this page periodically for relevant updates.
Page applicants must be 13 or 14 years old on January 10, 2024, to be eligible for participation in the program.
Application guidelines for the 2024 Page Program will be made available in late-summer 2023.