WASHINGTON – As a new school year begins in Mississippi, U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Thad Cochran, R-Miss., today encouraged eligible Mississippi high school students to apply for the 2016 U.S. Senate Youth Program (USSYP).

Two Mississippi high school students will be selected to represent the state at the 54th annual USSYP Washington Week in Washington, D.C. The deadline to apply for the USSYP program is Sept. 30, 2015. High school seniors or juniors involved in student government at public or private schools are eligible for the week-long program. The selection process is, in part, based on academic achievement, leadership capabilities and public service.

“This program helps students build important leadership skills early while educating them about the power of democracy,” Wicker said. “For young Mississippians, this opportunity aims to give them a better understanding of the guiding principles that make up our nation’s foundation.”

“The U.S. Senate Youth Program provides a tremendous opportunity for students to learn firsthand about our federal government and public service,” Cochran said. “This prestigious scholarship program is a rewarding experience and I encourage all eligible students to apply.”

The program was established by the U.S. Senate in 1962 to expose student leaders to the federal government and the U.S. Senate.

The Hearst Foundation fully funds and administers the USSYP, which includes a $5,000 undergraduate scholarship and week-long trip (March 5-12, 2016) to Washington for each of the 104 delegates from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity. The USSYP Washington Week program includes meetings with a Supreme Court Justice, U.S. Senators, cabinet secretaries and other policymakers.

Mississippi’s 2015 Senate Youth Program delegates were Sidney Albritton of Carriere and Robert Grady Pickering of Laurel.

Interested students can visit www.ussenateyouth.org for more information or access the 2016 USSYP brochure outlining the rules and selection process information here (http://1.usa.gov/1K5mK5w). Students may also contact their high school principal or Mississippi’s state-level selection administrator:

Cerissa Neal
Executive Director, Office of Educator Quality
Mississippi Department of Education
(601) 359-3631
cneal@mde.k12.ms.us