Dear County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, High School Principals, Counselors, and Scholarship Coordinators:

2023 United States Senate Youth Program

I am pleased to announce the 2023 United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP). All public and private high schools in the state are invited to nominate up to two outstanding juniors or seniors who are interested in pursuing careers in public service to participate in this educational program coordinated by the California Department of Education (CDE).

Two student delegates from each state will be selected to attend this unique educational experience. The 61st Annual Washington Week will take place March 4–11, 2023, with current planning for an in-person program in Washington, D.C., pending public health and safety guidelines for travel and indoor gatherings. Regardless of platform, all student delegates will partake in a comprehensive, interactive leadership program in the stated timeframe, and each will receive a $10,000 college scholarship in the name of the United States Senate.

Students must be nominated by their high school principal and must be currently serving in an elected or appointed leadership capacity in a student government, civic, or educational organization for the entire 2022–23 school year in order to apply. In addition, nominated students must be United States citizens or permanent residents and be currently enrolled in a California public or private secondary school. Four finalists, consisting of two delegates and a first alternate and second alternate, will be selected by the CDE to be California’s USSYP representatives.

The application and scholarship information for the 2023 USSYP may be found on the CDE USSYP web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/eo/in/us/ . The deadline to apply is Thursday, October 6, 2022.

If you have any questions regarding the USSYP, please send an email to ussyp@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction

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2022-02459