Interior scholarships for NMI students up for grabs

The U.S. Department of the Interior is encouraging top high school student leaders, grades 9-11, to apply for one of three full scholarships which will give recipients the chance to attend a Junior Statesmen Summer School session in the mainland.

The scholarships cover all tuition costs and round trip transportation to the Summer School of the student’s choice. Transportation to the school is not included in the tuition. The deadline for applications for the Scholarships is on April 19, 2000.

Summer School students take exciting college level courses in American Government and Speech, while they develop and polish their leadership skills.

Month-long sessions of the Junior State, Summer School are conducted on the prestigious university campuses such as Stanford (San Francisco), Northwestern (near Chicago), Princeton University (near New York), Yale (near New York) and Georgetown (in Washington, D.C.).

Summer School sessions are highlighted by a speakers program which gives students the chance to meet and question legislators, elected officials, judges, reporters, political campaign consultants, among other political players.

Each night, Summer School students debate controversial political issues in a simulation of U.S. Congress.

Admission decisions are based on an applicant’s academic achievement, leadership, and interest in politics or government. To apply, students must submit a copy of their high school grades, a three-page personal essay, and a letter of recommendation from a counselor or teacher.

For the past nine years, the Department of the Interior has offered full tuition and transportation scholarships to the Junior Statesmen Summer School to outstanding high school students in the CNMI, Guam, the Republic of Belau, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa.

The department awards three scholarships per insular area. In the past nine years, 129 students front the CNMI, 192 students from Guam, and 100 students from the Republic of Belau have attended the Junior Statesmen Summer School.

Karen Prosser, Director of the Junior Statesmen Summer Programs will be on Saipan until today to recruit outstanding students for the Summer School and Department of the Interior Scholarships.

During her visit, Ms. Prosser is meeting students and school officials at each high school as well as parents, political officials and community leaders.

For more information about Junior Statesmen Summer School and

Scholarships, please contact the Department of Interior at (670) 234-8861 or Karen Prosser at The Junior Statesmen Foundation at (650) 347-1600.