WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., today encouraged Mississippi juniors and seniors involved in student leadership to apply for the 2021 U.S. Senate Youth Program (USSYP), an educational program that will provide $10,000 college scholarships to two delegates from the Magnolia State.

A Dec. 1, 2020, application deadline has been set for the program’s 59th annual Washington Week, March 14-18, 2021.  Because of COVID-19 concerns, the USSYP 2021 Washington Week ONLINE will be virtual.

“The 2021 U.S. Senate Youth Program is adapting to our current environment and going virtual. This year’s program will provide a unique opportunity for our state’s young leaders to engage with our nation’s highest levels of government,” said Wicker, who serves on the USSYP Senate Advisory Committee.  “I encourage every eligible student to apply for this special opportunity.”

“Even as a virtual experience, the Senate Youth Program offers student leaders a chance to get firsthand exposure to our nation’s leaders and the workings of the government.  I encourage Mississippi’s talented students to look at this valuable program and apply for the 2021 Washington Week,” Hyde-Smith said.

Applicants must be juniors or seniors and elected or appointed student officers for the 2019-2020 or the 2020-2021 academic year.  Because of COVID-19, students unable to serve in qualifying leadership positions for the 2020-2021 academic year may use positions held in the previous year.

The selected Mississippi delegates will be among 104 student delegates overall.  The Hearst Foundation fully funds this program, which provides a $10,000 college scholarship to each delegate.

The 2021 Washington Week ONLINE, like previous in-person programs, will connect USSYP delegates with the highest-level officials from each branch of government, including their Senators, the President, cabinet secretaries, a justice of the Supreme Court, senior members of the national media and other key policymakers.

Interested students can visit https://www.ussenateyouth.org/ for more information.  The USSYP 2021 Washington Week ONLINE brochure is available here.  To apply, students should also contact their high school principal or Mississippi’s state selection administrator:

Mrs. Sandra Hilliard
Education Specialist, Sr.
Mississippi Department of Education
shilliard@mdek12.org – (601) 359-2213

https://mdek12.org/OTL/OTC/USSYP 

Mississippi’s 2020 USSYP delegates were Bobby Current of Olive Branch and Alex Stradinger of Ridgeland.