Each year, the William Randolph Hearst Foundation awards two high school juniors or seniors from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia with an all-expense-paid, week-long tour of Washington, DC, and a $10,000 scholarship as part of the United
States Senate Youth Program (USSYP). In Washington state, AWSP administers the program in conjunction with AWSL.
Please encourage students to apply if they are qualified to submit an application!
Qualified high school juniors or seniors must show demonstrated leadership by serving in elected or appointed positions in which they are actively representing or have previously represented a constituency in organizations related to student government,
education, public affairs, and community service. They must be actively serving in qualified leadership positions, enrolled in high school, and living in the state that they will represent for the entire 2023 – 2024 academic year. All student
leadership positions are subject to the judgment and verification of the state selection administrators. Students must be a citizen or permanent resident in possession of a green card at time of application.
For more information about the United States Senate Youth Program, see the program brochure, the 2023 program press release, or visit their website.
2023-2024 Dates
- Sept 22: Applications Due
- Sept 23-Oct 6: Review Applications and Select Finalists
- Week of Oct 9: Notify Finalists
- Nov 3: Materials from Finalists Due
- Nov 9: Interview Finalists (Virtual)
- Dec 1: Winners Notified
- March 2-9, 2024: Washington D.C. Week
How to Apply
For the 2023-2024 school year, applicants must complete:
- The digital USSYP Application
- The activities resume
- A letter of recommendation from their activity adviser
- A 250-word essay on a significant leadership trait
Completed materials should be sent to Julie Woods by 4:00 pm on September 22, 2023.
Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee, and then the committee will select up to 15 finalists who will participate in the final selection process via Zoom on November 9, 2023. Finalists must be available on this day in order to participate.
The Washington state winners will be announced in early December. These two winners will join other state winners for a week in Washington, D.C., in March 2024. Winners
must be able to attend all days
of this Washington Week.
Please get in touch with Julie Woods at AWSP or James Layman at AWSL if you have questions.