The Coolidge Senators Program is a distinct program from the Coolidge Scholarship that recognizes one hundred top Coolidge Scholarship applicants who demonstrate exceptional academic accomplishments and show a special interest in Calvin Coolidge. All students who apply to the Coolidge Scholarship are automatically considered for the Coolidge Senators Program — there is no separate application required.
Students who qualify for the Coolidge Senator distinction will be notified by the Coolidge Foundation directly. To accept the Foundation’s invitation and become a Coolidge Senator, it is a requirement that students attend the Coolidge Senator Summit in Washington, D.C. At the Summit — a multi-day, expenses-paid, event — Coolidge Senators tour the nation’s capital, discuss pressing issues in policy and business with renown experts, and take part in formal debates on issues of national importance. Coolidge Senators also receive a modest, one-time, college scholarship.
The Summit gives Senators a glimpse into the inner workings of our government. Past activities have included: touring the East Wing of the White House, engaging in Q&A with former members of congress on the House floor, speaking with clerks to Supreme Court justices, hearing from former Governors, and meeting with top officials from federal agencies such as the Office of Management and Budget and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
President Coolidge understood that America’s free enterprise system was critical to sustaining our republic. Thus, the Senator Summit gives special emphasis to entrepreneurship and the private sector, bringing business leaders to brief students on topics relating to entrepreneurship and innovation.
Importantly, the Summit provides the opportunity for Coolidge Senators to forge friendships with other top students from across America. Designation as a Coolidge Senator opens up a wide network of both peers and mentors. The Coolidge Foundation provides further enrichment opportunities for Coolidge Senators during their college years.
Typically, the Summit takes place in August following the Scholarship application process. Senators stay at the historic Willard Hotel, just a block from the White House, where Calvin Coolidge himself lived during his vice presidency. Click here to read testimonials about the Summit from past Coolidge Senators.
To apply to the Coolidge Scholarship and Coolidge Senators Program, please visit coolidgescholars.org.