The Director of the Department of Education is privileged to recommend two high school juniors or seniors to serve as delegates from Arkansas to the U.S. Senate Youth Program. This program is sponsored by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. It provides for an all-expense paid trip to Washington. D.C., for one week. Dates of the 2003 Program are March 1-8, 2003. There will be 104 delegates, two from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Schools Overseas.
Applicants must be juniors or seniors who are interested in government and political science. They must currently hold an elective office in a student government, civic, or educational organization officially sponsored by the student's school. Each delegate receives a $5,000 college scholarship. Complete information about eligibility is contained in the attached description of the Program.
Arkansas Delegates to the 2001 Senate Youth Program met with Supreme Court Justice David Souter in the courtroom of the Supreme Court for an informal question-and-answer session, joined officials from the Department of State for lunch in the Benjamin Franklin dining room, heard from NASA Administrator Daniel Goldman about recent shuttle problems, and spoke with many other officials during the week such as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a tour of the Pentagon. A hallmark of Washington Week is the opportunity for student delegates to ask probing questions of both elected and appointed leaders.
A form, which may be reproduced as needed, is attached for nominating delegate(s) for consideration. APPLICATIONS MUST BE POSTMARKED by September 30, 2002. There are no exceptions to this deadline, and late or incomplete applications will be disqualified. A committee from the Department of Education will screen all eligible applicants and make recommendations to the Director.