United States Senate Youth Program

 

Information about the 2013-2014 scholarship has been mailed to all High School Principals and/or Counselors on Wednesday, August 14, 2013.  Please see your school Principal or Counselor about the testing process.  

2013-2014 USSYP Brochure

Additional program information can be found on the U.S. Senate Youth Program website at www.ussenateyouth.org .

Rules for Choosing West Virginia Delegates:

The accompanying brochure lists the qualifications for applicants.  Sections will be based on outstanding academic ability and demonstrated qualities of leadership.  The West Virginia delegates will be chosen by the following rules:

  1. Regardless of race, creed, color, sex or financial need, students are eligible to be candidates for the U.S. Senate Youth Program provided they:
    • have not previously been a delegate to the program
    • are currently serving in an elected or selected capacity in any one of the following student government, civic or education organizations.
      • Student body or class president, vice president, secretary or treasurer
      • Student council representative
      • Student representative elected or selected (selected by a panel, commission or board) to district, regional or state-level civic or educational organization
      • are permanent residents of the United States, and at least one of their parents or guardians is a legal resident of West Virginia
      • are currently enrolled as a junior or senior in a publi or /private school in West Virginia.
  2. Students take a test prepared by the William Randolph Heart Foundation the week of September 9, 2013.
  3. Schools submit the answer sheets and essays immediately.  All tests must be in the WVDE Office of Secondary Learning on or before September 20, 2013.
  4. Semi-finalists are selected based on the highest test scores.
  5. Six finalists are selected from the semi-finalist pool, based upon evaluation of essay scores, academic records, school activities and evidence of leadership.
  6. Each finalist makes a formal presentation and is interviewed by a committee.  The committee is composed of six professionals and/or community people who will make the final selection.  The names of the two delegates and two alternates are announced by the Randolph Hearst Foundation in December.
  7. In Identifying your school candidates to take the test, you may want to consider:
    • Leadership ability.
    • High scholastic standing.  Demonstrated ability to achieve.
    • Ability to read, write, speak and think.  (Clear speech and logical though processes are important in question and answer sessions with distinguished speakers during finalist interviews in Charleston and Washington week.)
    • Community involvement. Participation in a wide spectrum of activities on and off campus.

Sample U.S. Senate Youth Program Test

Sample Test

Forms

These are fill-able forms.

Contact Information Sheet

Student Roster

 

2012-2013 U.S. Senate Youth Program

The 51st Washington Week was, once again, an extraordinary and inspiring endeavor that will surely be remembered by all as an experience of a lifetime.  Two student delegates from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity came together for an intensive educational experience about the American government, learning from and being encouraged by the highest level elected and appointed officials in the country.   Speakers for the 51st annual program included:

                    • President Barack Obama
                    • Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Elena Kagan
                    • Secretary of State John Kerry
                    • Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood
                    • Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire
                    • Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina
                    • Congressman Emanuel Cleaver
                    • NASA Administrator Charles Bolden
                    • Japanese Ambassador to the United States Kenichro Sasae
                    • Brian Lamb, Founder and CEO of C-SPAN

 

  

Each year, the state department of education selection administrators from the states of the two acting Senate Co-Chairs are invited to attend Washington Week and see the program and the students up close.  This year, Senator Shaheen and Senator Burr were our Co-Chairs and we were pleased to host Ms. Lori Temple from the New Hampshire Department of Education and Ms. Michelle McLaughlin from the North Carolina Department of Education as our distinguished guests in education for the week. 

 

    The United States Senate Youth Program is truly an amazing program. It is something I will always be thankful for and will never forget. I got to spend an entire week in Washington DC with all expenses paid. I got to meet President Obama, Justice Kagen, and Secretary Kerry.

 

    The fact that I can say that I was in the White House and actually meet the President is surreal. I got a real life experience of how the United States government works. Instead of reading about politics in Washington DC, The Hearst Foundation gave me a real world experience.

 

    The most thrilling experience for me was being able to meet and befriend the other 103 delegates from around the world. Seeing how there is people my age who want to do public service was truly awesome. I would recommend anybody in the country apply for the United States Senate Youth Program Scholarship.

 

WV – Julian Pecora

 

Contact Information

Social Studies Coordinator, Robert “Joey” Wiseman (rjwisema@access.k12.wv.us)

Assistant, Veronica Barron (vbarron@access.k12.wv.us)

Office of Secondary Learning

Phone:  304-558-5325                 FAX:  304-558-1834

1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East, Building 6 Room 603, Charleston, WV  25305