“Palace for Students” Program Welcomes Youth to Learn Nation’s History

Students from state junior high schools SMPN 94 Jakarta and SMPN 4 Jakarta participate in the “Palace for Students” program on Tuesday (05/19). (Photo by: PR of Cabinet Secretariat)

The “Palace for Students” program, on Tuesday (05/19), provided an unforgettable experience for approximately 500 participants, including 200 students from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) and Budi Luhur University (UBL), as well as 300 students from State Junior High School (SMPN) 94 Jakarta and State Junior High School (SMPN) 4 Jakarta.

In the morning, participants gathered in the Hoegeng Hall to learn about government and state administration. The enthusiasm was evident from the beginning of the program. The students then proceeded to the Jakarta Presidential Palace complex to learn more about the nation’s history and the Government’s system.

The participants were invited to experience firsthand the historic spaces they had only seen on television and social media. They toured the Merdeka Palace, the Presidential Office, and the State Palace, where many of the nation’s most important decisions were made.

For Abielle Darren, a Criminology student at Budi Luhur University, the experience was truly memorable. He stated that he never expected to visit the palace complex.

“Initially, my expectations were limited to the outside facade. But it turns out I can enter these rooms too. What I usually see on the news, I finally got to see firsthand. My goal is to become, if not a criminologist, then a politician,” he added.

Salsabilah Azzahra, a UGM student, also expressed similar enthusiasm, stating that the visit provided a unique learning experience. She hopes the program can continue to be participated in by more students from various educational levels.

“I hope the State Palace can welcome students from elementary to high school level to visit the palace in person, because there are so many lessons we can learn here, and we can see many of the various collections it has,” she said.

Meanwhile, Richwan and his colleagues from the Archives and Information Records Management Study Program at the UGM Vocational School said that the visit provided a new perspective on historical preservation and state documentation. He believes this experience is crucial so that the younger generation can continue to learn about the nation’s history and trajectory through the Presidential Palace complex.

“We learned how the Ministry of State Secretariat and the Palace care for and preserve the cultural heritage here, as this is a form of management and documentation of existing information,” Richwan said.

Among the participants, Alzena, a student from SMPN 4 Jakarta, stated that the opportunity brought her closer to her dream of becoming a future leader.

“I am very excited to speak in front of so many people, including all of you, which made me feel delighted, very inspired, and motivated to become a leader, especially as the nation’s leader,” she said.

The excitement was also evident among students from SMPN 94 Jakarta, who arrived with enthusiasm early in the morning. Gyenitra, Gyandra, and Adalira even mentioned that they had been preparing since 6.30 a.m. and walked to the location on foot.

“We really wanted to find out the history through this place. We were very eager to see the Merdeka Palace building. We really wanted to see what we have always seen in videos. We were eager to find out whether it’s the same as what we usually see on screen,” they said.

At the end of the visit, the students also expressed their gratitude to President Prabowo for the rare opportunity. “Thank you, Mr. Prabowo, for inviting us all to come to the Merdeka Palace. Thank you, sir,” they said. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (FI/MMB)