The 65th anniversary of the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) will take place in Washington, D.C. from March 6–13, 2027. Each year for the past 65 years, two students per state will be selected to receive a $12,500 scholarship and attend a week-long program, funded by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. This program is a national nonpartisan initiative to provide an annual opportunity for high school students with demonstrated leadership abilities to deepen their understanding of America’s political processes and strengthen their resolve to pursue careers in public service.
To apply for consideration in our state, a student must be a junior or senior and must hold a qualifying leadership position. Selection will be based on the student’s outstanding abilities and demonstrated qualities of leadership in an elected or appointed student office for the entire 2026-2027 school year. The primary purposes of the qualifying leadership position must be representation of a constituency and service to others. For specific details on eligibility, please see the official program brochure.
Each applicant in Washington must complete the application located on the Association of Washington Student Leaders’ website.
The application includes:
- The digital application
- An activities resume (an activities resume is just like a traditional resume with activities, education, community service, awards etc…)
- A letter of recommendation from their Activity Advisor (from the position connected to your qualified leadership role), Principal, Assistant Principal, Superintendent, or adult in a similar key position. Letters of recommendation can be sent directly to us from the recommender and/or you. They do not need to be sent confidentially.
- A 250-word essay (AI usage – not permitted) answering: Describe an issue or belief about government, leadership, or your community on which your opinion changed. What caused you to reconsider your thinking, and what did you learn from the experience?
All materials are due by 4:00 pm on September 25, 2026 and should be sent to AWSP’s Roz Thompson.
The applications will be reviewed by a selection committee, and then the committee will select a group of finalists who will participate in the final selection process via Zoom on November 6, 2026. Finalists must be available on this day in order to participate.
The winners will be announced in early December and must be able to attend all days of Washington Week from March 6–13, 2027.
Visit the USSYP website for more information or check out the official program brochure.
For questions related to the application process or eligibility, please email Roz Thompson, AWSP Director of Government Relations.
