Washington, DC — Students from Guam, American Samoa, Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands will travel to Washington, DC, February 20-22, 2015 to participate in the Junior State of America’s 23rd Annual Winter Congress Convention.

The two-day simulation of the U.S. Congress will allow students to meet as members of a simulated U.S. House of Representatives, as well as a simulated U.S. Senate.

The students will participate in the program as part of a special scholarship offered by the Junior Statesmen Foundation and funded by the U.S. Department of Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs. Students were selected after an essay competition that required them to submit a 500 to 750-word essay on the topic “What Are the Major Issues Facing the Second Session of the 113th U.S. Congress.”

Students selected were also given the opportunity to submit legislation to be considered by the simulated House and Senate during the JSA Winter Congress weekend.

In addition to the 12 students from throughout the Pacific, there will also be students participating from the U.S. Virgin Islands. These students will join more than 1,200 other students from throughout the Mid-Atlantic who will also be attending.

Prior to the JSA Winter Congress Convention, the students will be visiting many Washington, DC landmarks including the White House and the U.S. Capitol, and will have meetings with officials at the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of the Interior — Office of Insular Affairs.

The American students participating are: Ionatana Tuitasi who attends Faasao-Marist High School Rakiiba Vaalele who attends Samoana High School

More information about the Junior State of America and the Junior Statesmen Foundation can be found at www.jsa.org