Three rising high school seniors from Jim Thorpe recently attended Keystone Boys' State, an annual event held by the American Legion, where they learned about leadership, state and local government, and civic participation. Participants are among the best and brightest of Pennsylvania's future leaders.

Among those who attended were Jim Thorpe Area High School students Cole Frycklund, Ryan McArdle and Benjamin Saxon.The program, founded in 1935, focuses on hands-on participation in simulated city, county and state governments. Operated by students elected to various offices, KBS activities include legislative sessions, court proceedings, law-enforcement presentations, a band and recreational programs.The program has produced such notable alumni as President Bill Clinton; KBS graduate Adm. Jon Greenert, Chief of Naval Operations; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito; Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker; astronaut Neil Armstrong; noted national news anchor Tom Brokaw; businessman and former basketball player Michael Jordan; and entertainer Jon Bon Jovi, among others.This year's attendance was the largest in more than a decade. The program is free to participants, who receive a sponsorship from their local American Legion Post.Applications for next year's Keystone Boys State, which will be held tentatively June 18-24, 2017, will open in fall 2016.Interested individuals can apply online through the website of the American Legion Department of Pennsylvania at

http://pa-legion.com/programs/student-programs/keystone-boys-state.