WHAT IS A PAGE?

The Kansas Senate operates a program that allows a limited number of young people to come to Topeka for one day when the Senate is in session (January through April 2010) to serve as Senate pages.  Pages run errands, deliver mail and messages, and complete other tasks that help the legislature to complete its day-to-day operation.  Senate pages ordinarily have the opportunity to sit in the Senate during the daily session, to meet the governor, to visit with their sponsoring Senator, and to see up close how state government really works.  During the nine years Derek has served in the Senate, about 225 young people from the 15th State Senate District have come to Topeka to page for him.

WHO CAN BE A PAGE?

Senate pages must be at least 12 years of age and should not have graduated from high school.  Senate pages must be sponsored by a Senator.  Each year, Senator Derek Schmidt is allowed a limited number of pages.  He always selects young people who reside in the 15th Senate District.  Senator Schmidt's district includes 20 public school districts as well as several private schools and numerous families who home school their children.  Senator Schmidt always works to ensure a geographical balance in his selection of pages so that young people from throughout his Senate district and from all walks of life have an opportunity to serve as Senate pages.  If there are more applicants than positions available, preference will be given to older applicants who are close to graduation from high school and younger applicants will be encouraged to re-apply during a later year.

HOW DO I APPLY?

Senator Schmidt chooses his pages from applications submitted by interested young people.  Applications are available now for the 2010 legislative session and must be submitted not later than December 31, 2009.  Applicants will be notified in January 2010 whether they have been selected to page during that year's legislative session.

There are three ways to obtain an application:

1. Click 2010 Senate Page Application and apply online (preferred method);
2. Call or write to Senator Schmidt and request that an application be sent to you by U.S. mail (See Contact Derek for addresses and telephone numbers); or
3. Wait until fall and ask your public school district's superintendent for a copy.  Early each fall, Senator Schmidt sends application forms to every public school superintendent in his Senate district and requests those applications be made available to interested young people.

If you are a young person at least age 12, are interested in government, and live in the 15th Senate District, you should consider applying to serve as a page for Senator Derek Schmidt!