Our Mission

Princeton Model Congress strives to educate students in the workings of the American government and to encourage their active involvement in the democratic process. To this end, we have developed a structure in which students from across the country can gather in the nation’s capital to discuss the pressing issues of the day. Serving as delegates to our conference, high school students compose bills according to their interests. Students must do thorough research and think creatively about their proposed legislation to ensure well-informed, high-quality debate during individual House and Senate committees as well as full Congressional sessions. We strive to make the conference as realistic and educational as possible, with a Presidential election, Cabinet appointments, Supreme Court deliberations, unexpected crises, and opening speeches by current national political leaders.

Each year, we recruit and train a staff of Princeton undergraduate students who chair each session and moderate the debates. We strive to ensure each delegate receives personal attention by keeping committees reasonably sized and delegate-to-staff ratios low. Majority of our staff have excelled in speech and debate and have participated in Model Congress conferences as high schoolers; many are veteran staffers to this conference. Our seasoned staffers further foster an enriching and intellectually stimulating experience for each participant.