Summer programs for hs kids at universities (esp. on law/politics)? Anybody done Junior State?

[Anonymous]

My current freshman is really interested in law, policy, and politics, and I see that Gtown and AU have summer programs for hs kids with similar interests. They are very expensive, though, and I wonder if they are mainly for non-locals who want a "DC experience" or for kids trying to get into those schools (too early for us to be thinking about that). I'm just looking for a way to enable DC to spend some time with like-minded kids and maybe have some exciting experiences with field trips and guest speakers. Anybody have experiences with summer programs at the local schools or can you recommend a different program? Anybody's child done "Junior State" (which I assume is the same thing as Boys and Girls State from when I was growing up)? Thanks for any info.

[Anonymous]

Boys and Girls State still exist. They are separate programs.

[Anonymous]

The Junior State Georgetown Summer School isn't just for out-of-towners looking for the DC experience. It is more of the Political experience. Students go to the Pentagon, State Department and Capitol Hill. Sight-seeing isn't the impetuous, it is allowing teenagers to hear about policy from the people who make it and enables them to question the speakers for in depth answers. If you are well-connected with the Washington establishment, speaker's programs with Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke may not phase your child. If so, I would recommend the Junior State program at Princeton or Stanford.