Maine Senators Susan Collins and Angus King have announced that the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) has begun its statewide selection process. Two Maine students will join 102 other delegates for the program’s 52nd annual Washington Week, held March 8-15.
Maine principals and headmasters are encouraged to nominate students from their school by Oct. 15. Delegates must be juniors or seniors and elected student officers for the 2013-14 academic year, and they must be residents of Maine. Eligibility considerations may also be made for student representatives elected or selected (by a panel, commission or board) to district-, regional- or state-level civic or educational organizations.
In addition to outstanding leadership abilities and a strong commitment to public service, the student delegates generally rank academically in the top 1 percent of their states. They continue to excel and often develop qualities that are directed toward public service. Among the many distinguished former program delegates is Senator Collins, the first delegate in the nation who has been elected to the U.S. Senate.
Each year, the USSYP brings delegates to experience a week-long, all-expenses-paid educational program about the workings of the Senate and the federal government overall. The student delegates will visit Capitol Hill, the White House, the Pentagon, the State Department, the Supreme Court and other historic sites in Washington. They will meet with senators, cabinet officers, government leaders and other policy-makers. Each of the delegates will also receive a $5,000 undergraduate college scholarship.
The Maine DOE mailed informational packets and specific instructions to high school principals and headmasters on Aug. 30. More details, including a program brochure, may be found on the Maine USSYP page.
Nominations should be sent to Kristie Littlefield, Maine’s USSYP administrator and social studies specialist, at kristie.littlefield@maine.gov or 207-624-6828. Names of students selected will be formally announced in mid-December.