Tuesday, August 27, 2013
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Chuck Grassley today encouraged Iowa students to consider competing for one of two spots in the U.S. Senate Youth Program. All together, 102 student delegates from the 50 states and the District of Columbia will participate in this program's 52nd annual Washington Week next March 8-15.
Student delegates selected for the program will learn about the relationship between the three branches of the federal government and will meet with Senators, cabinet officials, and other government leaders and policy-makers. The students will visit Capitol Hill, the White House, the Pentagon, the State Department, the Supreme Court, and other sites in Washington.
The program pays for participants' trip to the nation's capital, and each student receives a $5,000 undergraduate scholarship.
"It's important for students to learn about government and understand the democratic process," Grassley said. "This is an opportunity for students to gain firsthand knowledge and witness government in action. I encourage young leaders in Iowa to apply."
Delegate selection is administered by individual states' chief school officer in cooperation with high school principals. Applications are due October 4, 2013, and the names of students selected will be formally announced by the U.S. Senate Youth Program in December. Interested applicants should contact their high school principal or the state-level selection administrator to apply. In Iowa, the administrator is:
Stefanie Rosenberg-Wager
Social Studies Consultant
Grimes State Office Building
400 SE 14th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
stefanie.rosenbergwager@iowa.
According to the program, selected students generally rank academically in the top one percent of students in their states, in addition to possessing outstanding leadership abilities and a strong commitment to public service. Delegates must be juniors or seniors and elected student officers for the 2013-2014 academic year, and they must reside in the state where they attend school. Eligibility considerations may also be made for student representatives elected or selected (by a panel, commission or board) to district, regional or state-level civic or educational organizations.
This program was created by a Senate Resolution in 1962. Since then, more than 5,000 students have participated. The educational program continues to be sponsored by the U.S. Senate and fully funded by The Hearst Foundation.
The 2014 program brochure with detailed rules and information about the selection process and the program's annual yearbook are at www.ussenateyouth.org.
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