Principals may submit nominees for Senate Youth Program

Senator Susan Collins, a 1971 USSYP delegate, with Maine’s 2012 USSYP delegates, Julia Brown, of Brunswick High School, and Adam Cohen, of Scarborough High School. — Senator Susan Collins, a 1971 USSYP delegate, with last year’s USSYP delegates, Julia Brown, of Brunswick High School, and Adam Cohen, of Scarborough High School.

Two student leaders from Maine will be selected to participate in the 51^st annual United States Senate Youth Program to be held in Washington, D.C., March 9-16, 2013. The program is sponsored by the United States Senate and funded and administered by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation.

In addition to the all-expenses paid trip to observe the federal government in action, delegates will each receive a $5,000 scholarship. Student delegates will hear major policy addresses by senators, cabinet members, officials from the Departments of State and Defense and directors of other federal agencies, as well as participate in a meeting with a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Informational packets with specific instructions outlining the application and selection process were mailed to high school principals a few weeks ago. Each principal is encouraged to identify two candidates for consideration by the October 15, 2012, deadline. The top 10 candidates from the statewide pool of applicants will be interviewed by a selection committee in Augusta. More information, including student eligibility requirements, can be found on the Maine USSYP page.