For the past eleven years Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils has convened 150-200 outstanding student leaders in Pennsylvania for a discussion of critical issues facing the youth of our state.

This program has provided students the opportunity to dialog with a state legislator, exchange views with their peers, develop position papers on areas of interest to them, defend their viewpoints on the floor of the Pennsylvania General Assembly chamber, and to see their views shared with political leaders of Pennsylvania.  

The 2009 program will focus on issues facing Pennsylvania. Student leaders will develop, debate and present point and counter-point proposals on five major areas of concern to all Pennsylvanians. Issue areas include: education, energy, environment, healthy lifestyles, and the rebuilding of our state infrastructure including bridges, highways, and mass transit.  

The major components of the day include:  

• A discussion session on one of five critical issues concerning Pennsylvania youth.       
• A work session in which students in each of the five-sub groups will be divided into two groups to draft a both a point and counter-point position paper recommending solutions for critical issues. The student committee may develop multi-planks based the complexities of the issues that are addressed by their group.  
• An afternoon session on the floor of the House of Representatives using the desks, rostrums, and microphones of the members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Student speakers will present their proposals, debate will occur, and each student will vote expressing their personal opinion for one or the other proposals of that specific topic. All five topic areas will follow the same format of floor debate and discussion.   
• The program will end with the presentation of student resolutions to representatives of the state House and Senate and to the Governor’s Office.  

Select up to three high school students and an alternate (who we will invite if space allows). These students should be interested in the political process and particularly interested in the five topics that have been selected for debate this year.   

Transportation will be provided by PennCORD. Students and advisors must meet at 6:15 a.m. in front of the National Constitution Center building on Arch Street.  525 Arch Street, Independence Mall Philadelphia, PA 19106

There is no cost to the students, their faculty sponsor or parents who accompany them to Harrisburg other than lunch.

To apply, fill out the application and return to PennCORD by Wednesday, Feburary 18.