Currents in Education
Applications being accepted for U.S. Senate Youth Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, recently announced the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) has begun its statewide selection process.Two outstanding Maine high school students will be selected to join 102 other delegates from each state and the District of Columbia to spend a week in Washington, D.C., observing the federal government in action.
"I have the honor and privilege of being the first delegate to the United States Senate Youth Program elected to the U.S. Senate," Collins said. "My commitment to public service was reinforced as a senior in high school when I was chosen as a delegate and traveled to Washington and met Senator Margaret Chase Smith, the first woman in history to serve in both the House and the Senate. I encourage all interested high school students to apply to participate in this worthwhile program."
Since the USSYP was established in 1962, more than 4,500 students have participated. The program is fully funded by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation and no government funds are utilized.
The student delegates will receive a $5,000 undergraduate college scholarship in addition to the all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., where they will visit Capitol Hill, the White House, the Pentagon, the State Department, the Supreme Court and other highlights. They will also meet with senators, cabinet officers, government leaders and policy-makers.
The delegate selection is administered by each state's chief school officer in cooperation with high school principals. Delegates must be junior or senior elected student officers for the 2006-2007 academic year and reside in the state where they attend school. Eligibility considerations may also be made for student representatives elected or selected (selected by a panel, commission or board) to district, regional or state-level civic or educational organizations.
Each student must be a permanent resident of the United States and currently enrolled in a public or private secondary school located in the state (including for these purposes the District of Columbia) in which either one of his or her parents or guardians legally resides.
Names of students selected will be formally announced mid-December.
Interested students in Maine should contact their high school principal or Dr. Edwin Naum Kastuck, School Approval Services, Maine Department of Education, 23 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0023 or by phone at 624-6776 or e-mail at edwin.kastuck@maine.gov.
The Maine selection deadline is Oct. 20.
A program brochure with detailed rules, selection process and the 2007 program annual yearbook may be accessed on the USSYP website at www.ussenateyouth.org.
