HARRISBURG – What do President Bill Clinton, Vice President Dick Chaney, Michael Jordan and Tom Brokaw have in common? They all attended a Boy State program in their home state when they were a junior in high school. The Pennsylvania American Legion has started registrations for the 2008 session of Keystone Boys State. Boys State is a leadership program and has been conducted yearly in Pennsylvania since 1937. KBS is a comprehensive one week course in state and local government where the students take an active participating role in a practical learning government.
Pennsylvania American Legion Commander Robert Miller stated, “This is an exceptional program were the students have the opportunity to learn the political process because each level of government is run by the student delegates, who are elected by their peers to serve in various government capacities.”
Many of the topics the students (otherwise known as “citizens”) will cover include instruction on the law and court system, parliamentary procedure and Pennsylvania political history.
As we all know colleges are selective. Every activity outside of high school will greatly enhance a student’s chance of success; the attendance at either a Boys or Girls State has been a key discriminator in the selection process at many universities. Additionally, this year for the first time, college credits can be obtained by “citizens” through attendance at KBS in conjunction with the completion of an online course with the university or college.
High school juniors should contact their guidance counselor or our local American Legion Post to participate in this years KBS being held at Shippensburg University during the week of June 22-28. In most situations, The American Legion Post will endure the cost of the program for the student. And more than $23,000 in college scholarships are available for attending citizens either through the Department of Pennsylvania American Legion or from the Samsung Corporation.
More information can be obtained by going online and then scrolling to Boys State and Pennsylvania. For additional information please contact William Shade, Director of Keystone Boys State, at 717-359-4626 or kbsdirector@pa-legion.org.