If you are on the Saint John’s University campus the week of June 13-18, you’ve seen approximately 150 high school boys wearing white T-shirts who are participating in the American Legion’s Boys State.

The American Legion Auxiliary also sponsors a separate but similar program for high school girls called Girls State, which is being held virtually this year.

Now, a new scholarship offer from the College of Saint Benedict and SJU admission office is hoping to turn those white shirts into red shirts – as in the school colors of the Bennies and the Johnnies.

CSB and SJU is offering $1,000 per year (renewable for a total of $4,000 over four years) to any student selected to Minnesota Boys State or Girls State. The scholarship offer is valid for any student who attended Boys State or Girls State in 2021 entering CSB/SJU in the fall of 2022.

It’s a very simple process to receive this scholarship.

If a student identifies as having attended Minnesota Boys State or Minnesota Girls State on their application for admission, they will receive it. No special application is needed.

In order to maintain this scholarship, the student must remain in good academic standing.

Students who attend either Boys State or Girls State are those who illustrate leadership, character, scholarship, loyalty and service in their schools and community – in other words, the kind of students CSB and SJU want to enroll.

“This scholarship is in recognition of the emerging leaders in high school throughout Minnesota,” said Nate Dehne, vice president of enrollment management at CSB/SJU. “Former Boys State and Girls State participants have become outstanding Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s students throughout the past 70-plus years, and we want to now help recognize their strong leadership and character by offering this scholarship in addition to the other numerous ways we make our campuses affordable.

“We also thank the American Legion for its ongoing support and sponsorship of this tremendous program for the youth of Minnesota,” Dehne added.

The Minnesota American Legion Boys State is conducting its 73 ^rd program. It is among the most respected and selective educational programs of government instruction for high school students, and is a participatory program in which students become part of the operation of local, county and state government, and learn the rights, privileges and responsibilities of franchised citizens.

The Minnesota American Legion Girls State program is conducting its 74 ^th program and is one of the most respected experiential learning programs in the United States. Minnesota Girls State participants become extremely knowledgeable about the democratic process and how our republic works at the state and national levels.