State Senator Charbonneau Encourages Students to Serve as Pages

Charbonneau-SmithState Sen. Ed Charbonneau (R-Valparaiso) invites area middle school and high school students to spend a day at the Statehouse and serve as Senate pages during the 2013 legislative session, which runs from Jan. 7 to April 29.

Student pages learn about state government firsthand by participating in the legislative process,” Charbonneau said. “While working with legislators and staff, pages get to see lawmakers introduce bills, debate and vote on important issues.

Interested students should submit page requests as soon as possible by visiting www.in.gov/senatepageprogram. Requests may also be emailed to Senator.Charbonneau@iga.in.gov or by mail to the following address:

State Sen. Ed Charbonneau
Indiana Senate
200 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204

All requests need to include the student’s name, address, home telephone number, age and school affiliation.

Friends wanting to page on the same day should send requests together. Charbonneau said specific date requests will be considered, but may not be possible. The Senate’s page office will confirm the scheduled date after processing the incoming requests.

Participating as a page is an excused absence from school. Pages must arrive at the Statehouse by 8:30 a.m. to begin their orientation. They will then tour the historic Statehouse and observe legislative proceedings in either committee rooms or the Senate Chamber.

Parents are responsible for pages’ transportation to and from the Statehouse, and pages should plan on bringing a lunch or money to buy a meal. Food can be purchased at the Government Center Cafeteria, Circle Centre Mall or one of the many downtown restaurants near the Statehouse.

For additional information on the Senate page program, visit Charbonneau’s website at www.in.gov/senator.charbonneau or call 1-800-382-9467.