August 15, 2008
Dear High School Principals, Counselors, and Scholarship Coordinators:
2009 UNITED STATES SENATE YOUTH PROGRAM
I am pleased to announce that the California Department of Education (CDE) is coordinating the 2009 United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) in California, the forty-seventh annual competition sponsored by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. All public and private high schools in the state are invited to nominate up to two of their outstanding seniors or juniors to participate in the competition.
Four finalists, consisting of two delegates and one first and one second alternate, will be selected from the statewide applicants to be California’s USSYP representatives. The delegates will participate in a week of intensive study of the federal government as guests of the United States Senate from March 7-14, 2009, in Washington, D.C. The Foundation will pay all expenses for the delegates, including transportation, hotel, and meals. In addition, each of the delegates will receive a $5,000 college scholarship from the Foundation. The alternates attend the week in Washington only if the delegates are unable to participate.
A student must be nominated by his/her high school principal to be considered for the USSYP competition. Each school may nominate up to two student applicants. High school seniors or juniors are eligible to apply, provided they are currently serving in an elected or selected capacity in student government, a civic, or an educational organization. Additionally, the students chosen must be permanent residents of the United States and be currently enrolled in California public or private secondary schools. The California Instructions, California Student Application, California Qualifying Examination, California Frequently Asked Questions, and USSYP Washington Week 2009 brochure are available on the USSYP Web page. The original and one copy of the completed California Student Application, California Qualifying Examination, and student’s unofficial transcript must be submitted for each candidate to the CDE by the postmark deadline of Wednesday, October 1, 2008.
Thank you for your interest and participation in this program. If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact Carol Smith, USSYP Coordinator, Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, at 916-319-0577 or by e-mail at csmith@cde.ca.gov.
Sincerely,
JACK O'CONNELL
JO:cs
1430 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814