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

2024 United States Senate Youth Program

I am pleased to announce the 2024 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 62nd Annual Washington Week is to be held in person, for the first time since the pandemic, in Washington, D.C., March 2–9, 2024. Student delegates will partake in a comprehensive, interactive leadership program, and each will receive a $10,000 college scholarship.

To apply, students must be nominated by their high school principal and currently serve in an elected or appointed leadership capacity in a student government, civic, or educational organization for the entire 2023–24 school year. In addition, nominated students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, be currently enrolled in a California public or private secondary school, and live in California for the entire academic year. Four finalists, consisting of two delegates and a first and second alternate, will be selected by the CDE to be California’s USSYP representatives.

The application and scholarship information for the 2024 USSYP are available on the CDE USSYP web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/eo/in/us/. The deadline to apply is Monday, October 9, 2023, at 4 p.m.

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

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction