Opportunities for Vermont Students
As the future of our country, young people have a tremendously important voice in our democracy. I hear from Vermont students every day and am so encouraged by how engaged and involved they are. As your United States Senator, I want to help create opportunities for our young people, regardless of their political affiliation to be involved in the political process. If you are a student or educator, you can find more information about my upcoming opportunities below, or by signing up for the BERNIE BUZZ.
Opportunities for Vermont Students:
Each year, the President of the United States addresses a joint session of Congress to report on the “state of the union”. To coincide with that event, Bernie invites Vermont high school students to write an essay describing what they think are the most pressing issues facing our country. Bernie enters the finalists’ essays into the Congressional Record, official archive of Congress.
Twice each year, Bernie organizes a “Vermont Day” at the Kennedy Institute in Boston where students get to be a senator for a day, debating legislation in a full-scale replica of the U.S. Senate chamber. Hundreds of Vermont high school students have participated in Bernie’s Vermont Day at the Kennedy Institute’s innovative programming.
Vermont students applying to the U.S. Military, Naval, Air Force, or Merchant Marine Academies must first receive a nomination from a Member of Congress. Bernie is pleased to nominate a group of exceptional young Vermonters for appointment to our nation’s military academies each year. Students receiving a nomination are invited to join a ceremony each winter with Senator Sanders, Senator Welch, and Representative Balint at the Vermont statehouse in Montpelier.
Internships furnish an opportunity to learn about the inner workings of the U.S. Senate. Interns get to see first-hand and provide assistance with the legislative process, constituent services, and press office. Full-time and part-time internships are available in Washington, D.C. and Burlington, V.T.
Bernie is proud to be an honorary co-chair of the annual Vermont Youth Climate Summit. Organized and hosted by environmental faculty and students at the University of Vermont, this summit brings together hundreds of high school students to learn about the challenges of climate change, and how we can address them. This event is a great way to learn about one of the great global issues of our time, and to make real change!
Bernie hosts College and Career Fairs at schools all across Vermont to help students plan their futures after high school. Bernie believes all students deserve to understand what options are available to them and what training they may need for careers in our changing economy. These fairs feature workshops and resource tables to help students, providing information about college, financial aid, skills training, apprenticeships and much, much more.
For many years, Bernie has organized a concert to showcase choral groups from Vermont elementary, middle, and high schools, along with local colleges and universities. He also holds a town meeting with the students on arts education, and any other topics they want to discuss! This wonderful event not only celebrates the achievements of Vermont student choruses, but serves as an important reminder of how valuable art and music education is for our children.
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress has surplus books available for donation to eligible organizations and institutions. Bernie is happy to request free books from the library, to be shipped to nonprofit educational institutions throughout Vermont. If would like to participate in this program, or to learn more about it, please contact 802-862-0697.
The Senate Page Program gives high school students the opportunity to work on Capitol Hill while continuing their high school coursework. Senate Pages will meet our nation’s leaders and witness the political debates of the United States Senate.
