The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) is an annual scholarship competition sponsored jointly by the U.S. Senate and the William Randolph Hearst Foundation.
After a testing and interview process, two high school students are selected from each state, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense's overseas educational activities. In addition to a $10,000 scholarship, each receives a week-long trip to Washington, D.C.
In 1962, senators Everett Dirksen, Hubert Humphrey, Tom Kuchel, and Mike Mansfield introduced S.R. 324 to the Senate floor, which created the program. The resolution was passed on May 17, 1962 and signed into law by John F. Kennedy. In 1981, the resolution was amended to provide for the participation of the Department of Defense Education Activity. The Hearst Foundation has provided funding for the program since its inception.
The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) is fully funded by the Hearst Foundation with the aim of discovering, equipping, and inspiring the next generation of local, state, and national leaders.
All student delegates to the United States Senate Youth Program are selected by state-level education officials – the United States Senate and The Hearst Foundations do not provide individual states’ applications or choose the delegates and alternates. Student delegates are usually selected by their State Department of Education through rigorous application processes.
Selected student delegates receive a week-long trip to Washington, D.C. Each year, this trip, which is referred to as "Washington Week," provides an intensive study of government for the 104 students in each year's national delegation. While there, delegates attend meetings and briefings with senators, members of the House of Representatives, Congressional staff, the president, a justice of the Supreme Court, leaders of cabinet agencies, an ambassador to the United States, and members of the media.
At the conclusion of Washington Week, student delegates in attendance receive a $10,000 undergraduate college scholarship. [1]
 | This section needs additional citations for verification .(January 2021) |
The following are alumni of the Senate Youth Program:
Youth and Government (Y&G), also known as YMCA Youth In Government or YMCA Model Legislature and Court (MLC), is a program of the YMCA of the USA that allows high school students to serve in model governments at the local, state, national, and international levels.
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal to improve intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the American people of the United States and other countries through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills. Via the program, competitively-selected American citizens including students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists may receive scholarships or grants to study, conduct research, teach, or exercise their talents abroad; and citizens of other countries may qualify to do the same in the United States. The program was founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946 and is considered to be one of the most widely recognized and prestigious scholarships in the world. The program provides approximately 8,000 grants annually – roughly 1,600 to U.S. students, 1,200 to U.S. scholars, 4,000 to foreign students, 900 to foreign visiting scholars, and several hundred to teachers and professionals.
Lester B. Pearson United World College of the Pacific is one of eighteen schools and colleges around the world in the UWC movement. It is named after the late Canadian Prime Minister Lester Bowles Pearson, winner of the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize, and an early champion of the college. The mission of the UWC movement and of the school is to "make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future". The college follows the International Baccalaureate curriculum, and incorporates an experiential education programme, covering the final year of high school and a pre-university year for up to 100 students annually, selected from nearly 160 countries.
Boys Nation is an annual forum concerning civic training, government, leadership, and Americanism that is run by the American Legion. One hundred Boys Nation Senators are chosen from a pool of over 20,000 Boys State participants, making it one of the most selective educational programs in the United States.
The Junior State of America, abbreviated JSA, is an American non-partisan youth organization. The purpose of JSA is to help high school students acquire leadership skills and the knowledge necessary to be effective debaters and civic participants. JSA is sponsored by the Junior State of America Foundation Inc., which also operates the JSA Summer Schools. The Junior State of America is student-run, the largest such organization in the United States.
The United States Presidential Scholars Program is a program of the United States Department of Education. It is described as "one of the Nation's highest honors for students" in the United States of America and the globe.
American Legion Boys State and American Legion Auxiliary Girls State are summer leadership and citizenship programs for high school juniors, which focus on exploring the mechanics of American government and politics. The programs are sponsored by the American Legion (AL) and the American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) respectively. Boys and girls are usually nominated by their high school during their junior year. Boys and Girls State programs both began in 1937 and are held in each of the U.S. states, usually at a college within that state. There is also a Boys State session held in Washington, D.C. In general, male and female programs are held separately, but at least seven states—Georgia, Nebraska, Oregon, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island—host Boys and Girls State on the same campus on the same week.
A United States Senate Page is a high-school age teen serving the United States Senate in Washington, D.C. Pages are nominated by senators, usually from their home state, and perform a variety of tasks, such as delivering messages and legislative documents on the Senate floor and the various Capitol Hill offices. Pages are provided housing and attend a special page school at the Daniel Webster Senate Page Residence. Senate pages were first appointed in 1829. Originally limited to boys only, the Senate page program was expanded in 1971 to include girls. There are 30 pages at each Senate session, with 16 appointed by the majority party and 14 by the minority. Pages are assigned to serve senators of the sponsoring senator's party.
The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange is a youth student exchange program founded in 1983. The program, which is jointly sponsored by the United States Congress and the German Bundestag, funds exchange programs for German and American students through grants to private exchange organizations in both countries. The funding in the United States is administered by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State.
The Washington-Ireland Program for Service and Leadership (WIP) is a six-month program of personal and professional development that brings university students from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to Washington, DC for summer internships and leadership training. The program begins and ends with practical service in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It was originally called The Young Leaders Program.
The Harry S. Truman Scholarship is the premier graduate fellowship in the United States for public service leadership. It is a federally funded scholarship granted to U.S. undergraduate students for demonstrated leadership potential, academic excellence, and a commitment to public service. It is administered by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, an independent federal agency based in Washington, D.C.
The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) is a non-profit organization promoting international education and exchange. It was founded in 1947 and is based in the United States. The organization is headquartered in Portland, Maine.
The Japan-America Student Conference (JASC) is an educational and cultural exchange program for university students.
The Hinckley Institute of Politics is a nonpartisan institute located on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City, Utah. Its purpose is "to engage students in transformative experiences and provide political thought leadership" through involving students in practical politics and in governmental, civic and political processes.
The Afterschool Alliance is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization in the United States whose mission is "to ensure that all children have access to affordable, quality afterschool programs." It uses communications and advocacy strategies to increase public and private investments in afterschool programs. The Alliance serves as both a central resource center for afterschool programs, as well as a public advocate. The Afterschool Alliance has more than 25,000 afterschool program partners and its publications reach more than 65,000 interested individuals every month.
The Federal TRIO Programs are federal outreach and student services programs in the United States designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. They are administered, funded, and implemented by the United States Department of Education. TRIO includes eight programs targeted to serve and assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to post-baccalaureate programs. TRIO also includes a training program for directors and staff of TRIO projects. Their existence is owed to the passing of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
Youth councils are a form of youth voice engaged in community decision-making. Youth councils are appointed bodies that exist on local, state, provincial, regional, national, and international levels among governments, non governmental organisations (NGOs), schools, and other entities.
The US–China Education Trust is a non-profit organization based in Washington D.C. Founded in 1998 by Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch, the first Chinese-American U.S. Ambassador, USCET seeks to promote China–United States relations through a series of education and exchange programs. The organization sponsors a variety of fellowships, conferences, workshops and exchanges, focused primarily on strengthening Chinese academic institutions related to the fields of American Studies, Media and Journalism, American Governance, and International Relations.
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is the largest scholarship provider in the United States. The private, independent foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. It offers the largest scholarships in the U.S., comprehensive counseling and other support services to students from 8th grade to graduate school. Since 2000 it has awarded over $175 million in scholarships to nearly 2,300 students and more than $97 million in grants to organizations that serve outstanding low-income students.
The Blackstone Legal Fellowship is an American legal training and internship program developed and facilitated by Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). Since its inception in 2000, more than 1,900 law students have participated in the program. Its main campus is in Scottsdale, Arizona. Notable faculty have included Missouri U.S. Senator Josh Hawley and U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to United States Senate Youth Program . |
