Boys & Girls State

At the state level, 49 Departments of The American Legion host The American Legion Boys State programs each summer for outstanding high school juniors. Nearly 28,000 young men were sponsored by local American Legion Posts to attend the week-long government education program last year.

Two outstanding leaders from each Department Boys State program are selected to attend The American Legion Boys Nation in Washington, D.C. There, they learn the mechanics of the federal government by role-playing as senators and representatives in a complex dual-party system. The American Legion Auxiliary conducts parallel programs for young women through Girls State and Girls Nation.

Connecticut American Legion Boys State is held at Eastern Connecticut State University, Willimantic in June. Connecticut American Legion Auxiliary Girls State is normally held the week after Boys State. Applications are available at American Legion Posts.

The alumni of Connecticut Boys State represent a "Who's-Who in Connecticut" and includes former Gov. Bill O'Neil and Senator Joe Lieberman just to name a few. Candidates for service academies might be interested in knowing that attendance at American Legion Boys State ranks just below an Eagle Scout as one of the common denominators of young people selected, according to one admissions official.

For more information on Connecticut's American Legion Boys State program, please take a few moments to view their website at http://ctboysstate.tripod.com/.

Samsung American Legion Scholarship

High school juniors who complete either a Boys State or Girls State program and are a direct descendant or a legally adopted child of a wartime veteran who served on active duty during at least one of the periods of war officially designated as eligibility dates for American Legion membership are eligible to apply for the "Samsung American Legion Scholarship" and could be awarded up to $20,000. Applications should be filled out before attending the Boys or Girls State programs and handed to staff on arrival. Applications for the Samsung American Legion Scholarship are available in the Documents & Forms section of this site.

More information on the Samsung American Legion Scholarship can be found at The American Legion national website at http://www.legion.org/scholarships/samsung