In Brasília (DF), state network student represents Pará in the Young Senator program
Student Rebeca Marinho, from the State Institute of Education of Pará (IEEP), in Belém, experienced the routine activities of the federal legislature
Winner of the 2025 Young Senator Program Essay Contest, student Rebeca Marinho, who is in the 3rd year of high school at the State Institute of Education of Pará (IEEP), in Belém, represents Pará in Brasília (DF). For five days, she has been experiencing legislative life, discussing relevant topics about the country and exchanging knowledge with students from all over Brazil; the event ends this Friday (22).
Promoted by the Federal Senate, the Young Senator Essay Contest aims to encourage students to reflect on politics, democracy, and citizenship, as well as to provide knowledge about the structure and functioning of the Brazilian Legislative Power. This edition brought the theme "Climate emergency: think about the future, act in the present."
Rebeca shared how enriching these days in the federal district have been. "The experience is being transformative and surreal; I never imagined myself in Brasília, and now I am in Brasília. Here, I had the privilege of meeting Deputy Erika Hilton. All of us, young people from each state, are really having the experience of what it is like to be a senator. We have a schedule, an absurd rush, we also have lunch in a hurry, and we strictly adhere to the schedule. I had the honor of meeting one of our senators; it was an incredible experience," she said.
For the student, participating in the Young Senator Program is an opportunity for great learning. "I am learning about politics; I was never very informed about it, but now we are learning in detail, meticulously, each part of politics, each part of the three powers, how it works. And we are not just learning; we are living and practicing politics," the student shared.
"Here, there has been a lot of discussion about how young people can help combat the climate crisis. I hope to bring knowledge to my school and pride as well. At home, I intend to bring more information because, despite living in the capital of Pará, I live in a peripheral neighborhood, and there is a lot of lack of awareness about the topic. I believe this experience will impact my career, my future profession, because I intend to study Law, and I never imagined entering politics, but now it is a point to consider," highlighted Rebeca, who received support and guidance from teacher Natália Silva for the development of her writing skills.
Young Senator Program - Created by the Federal Senate in 2005, the program invites students from public and private schools from each state to develop projects of social interest. The Young Senator aims to encourage high school students to understand the structure and functioning of the Federal Legislative in Brazil, as well as to stimulate a permanent relationship among young citizens.
