How Washington's Legislative Page Program shapes young civic leaders
The Washington State Legislative Page Program has been offering students a hands-on civics lesson since before the state's founding in 1889. Each year, between 350 and 500 teenagers aged 14 to 16 travel to Olympia to take part in the week-long initiative. The programme aims to break down barriers between young people and government while encouraging future political engagement.
Participants, known as pages, spend their week assisting legislators and staff with daily tasks. They deliver amendments, carry flags during session openings, and gain firsthand experience in how state government operates. Each student is sponsored by a lawmaker and serves for one week during the legislative session.
While in Olympia, pages stay in local hotels or with host families. Their schedule includes two hours of daily instruction at Page School, where they study how bills become laws and draft their own mock legislation. For their work, they earn $65 per day in the House or $67 in the Senate, along with 20 hours of community service credit. The programme has a track record of inspiring political careers. Former pages include current legislators Rep. Steve Bergquist and Rep. Brianna Thomas, both of whom credit the experience with sparking their interest in public service.
The Legislative Page Program continues to provide hundreds of students with a direct look at state government every year. By combining practical work with classroom learning, it offers a unique opportunity for young people to engage with civics. Many participants leave with a clearer understanding of how laws are made—and some go on to shape them themselves.
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