The Junior Statesmen Summer School

Summer Programs
Georgetown, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale Universities


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For More Information, Contact
Admissions Director
The Junior Statesmen Summer School
400 South Camino Real, Suite 300
San Mateo, California 94402
650-347-1600
800-334-5353 (toll-free)
Fax: 650-347-7200
http://www.jsa.org

Type of Program: Political education and leadership training
Participants: Coeducational, ages 14–18, entering grades 9–12
Enrollment: Varies by session
Program Dates: Georgetown Session I, June 16–July 7; Georgetown Session II, July 14–August 4; Princeton and Yale, June 23 to July 18; Stanford, June 30 to July 25
Head of Program: Jessica Brow, Associate Director of Summer Programs

Location

There are six sessions of the Junior Statesmen Summer School: Session I is held in the San Francisco Bay Area at Stanford University; Session II is held at Yale University in Connecticut; Sessions III and IV are held in Washington, D.C., at Georgetown University; and Session V is held at Princeton University in New Jersey. Each locale is within minutes of famous historical and cultural attractions.

Background and Philosophy

For more than seventy years, the Junior Statesmen Summer School has prepared students for responsible leadership in a democratic society. The goals of the Summer School are to develop an appreciation and understanding of American democratic history and government; to encourage the natural idealism of youth while confronting them with the realities of practical politics and helping them learn that a just and democratic society requires adherence to certain ethical principles; to help create an atmosphere, a challenge, and a stimulus for the intellectual awakening of high school students; to help students develop leadership skills; to teach students techniques of oral communication, argumentation, and persuasion; to confront a diverse group of young people with the challenge of living together in an independent environment; to encourage logical and critical thinking; to help students discover the joy and excitement of independent research; to develop students’ self-confidence, which is essential to effective leadership; to develop an appreciation of freedom of speech; and to help students develop time-management skills and a sense of personal responsibility.

Program Offerings

The Junior Statesmen Summer School offers a rigorous academic challenge to outstanding high school students. The curriculum at all sessions includes an Advanced Placement course in U.S. government and politics, an honors course in speech communication, an exciting high-level political speakers program, and debates on current issues. Students at the Junior Statesmen Stanford Summer School may take AP Economics, Constitutional Law, or AP Comparative Government instead of AP American Government. Students at the Yale session may take Constitutional Law. Students at the Georgetown session may take U.S. Foreign Policy or Constitutional Law. Princeton University students may take AP U.S. History, AP Comparative Government, Political Philosophy, or U.S. Foreign Policy. Students entering ninth grade may participate in the Freshman Scholars program at Princeton and take AP U.S. Government and Public Speaking.
Students may obtain high school credit for their course work at the Summer School. These courses are offered as Advanced Placement and/or honors classes. If high school credit is desired, students must make preliminary arrangements with their school prior to the session.
Speakers Program The Summer School is enriched by a high-level, nonpartisan speakers program that is closely integrated with classroom instruction. Free-wheeling question-and-answer sessions allow students to examine the institutions and processes of American government with controversial policy makers.
Students at the Georgetown session question national leaders in the Capitol Building, the Pentagon, the State Department, the White House, and the Supreme Court Chambers. Yale and Princeton session students question ambassadors in the United Nations building. During the Stanford Summer School speakers program, students question outstanding scholars on campus as well as national and state leaders who join the students for in-depth examinations of politics in the “Golden State.”

Enrollment

About 1,400 outstanding high school students attend the five Summer School sessions. Enrollment at Yale is 250 students; at Stanford, 300 students; at each Georgetown session, 250 students; and at Princeton, 350 students. At the Georgetown session, most students are entering their senior or junior year in high school. At the other sessions, incoming high school sophomores may also participate. Students in the Freshman Scholars program at Princeton are incoming ninth graders. The age range is from 14 to 18.

Daily Schedule

At the Stanford, Yale, and Princeton sessions, government classes are held in the morning, speech classes in the afternoon, and student debates in the evening. Students taking AP U.S. History at Princeton take the class in the morning and afternoon. Students in the Freshman Scholars program at Princeton have class in the morning and afternoon, with study time in the evening. At the Georgetown session there is no set schedule, owing to an extensive speakers program. Classes are held six days a week at various times during the day and evening. No classes are held on Sunday. There is a curfew, at which time students must be in the dorm. High school field trip rules apply. Expulsion, without refund, is the penalty for serious rule violations.

Extra Opportunities and Activities

At each session, university admissions officials discuss their institution’s admission policies, financial aid, housing, student life, and academic offerings.
Parties and dances are held on Saturday. A talent show is held during each session. On Sunday, students and faculty members may visit nearby cultural and historical attractions. In Washington, trips to the Smithsonian museums and other landmarks are encouraged. Stanford session students go to San Francisco; Yale and Princeton students enjoy attractions in New York City. Students may take advantage of recreational facilities on each campus; some incur a fee. Available recreation may include swimming, tennis, basketball, racquetball, and volleyball.

Facilities

Students use university classrooms, libraries, and recreational facilities and live in residence halls.

Staff

The Junior Statesmen Summer School faculty members, resident assistants, and staff members are drawn from universities around the country. Government and history professors are political scientists or historians who hold a doctorate. Speech instructors have at least a master’s degree and are dedicated to excellence in their own classroom teaching and in the oral and written work of their students. Resident Assistants are college students (or recent college graduates) who have attended a previous session of the Summer School.
Faculty and staff members and resident assistants live in the university residence near the students and are responsible around the clock for student supervision and academic and personal counseling.

Costs

For the 2007 session, tuition, room, and board were $4150, which included transportation to the speakers program. Not covered were school supplies, souvenirs, access to recreational facilities (if the university charges a fee), laundry, and some meals off campus on speaker program days. Up to $250 is recommended for spending money. A $100 nonrefundable deposit is required upon acceptance. The tuition balance is due one month before the program. All tuition paid by the student’s parents is refundable until two weeks before the start of the Summer School.

Financial Aid

The Junior Statesmen Foundation has a $450,000 scholarship fund to assist students who find tuition to be a barrier. Scholarships ranging from $50 to $2700 are awarded on the basis of academic merit and financial need. More than half of the students receive a scholarship. Parents fill out a financial aid form, which can be requested from The Junior Statesmen Foundation. Staff members assist students who want to try to raise funds in their community.

Application Timetable

Students may request a Summer School catalog from the Junior Statesmen Foundation. Applicants submit an application form, a three-page essay, a high school transcript, and one teacher recommendation. Students are accepted on a rolling basis. The admission season begins in January and ends in June. There is no application fee.