In Pennsylvania, PASC is charged by the Hearst Foundation to administer the program, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). School administrators play an important role in our process, and we invite everyone to review the introductory letter that is sent annually to all high school principals in Pennsylvania. You are also invited to view the national press release as well.

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​What do we look for in candidates?

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Any student nominated should be an extremely strong leader with excellent communication and interpersonal skills, the initiative to respond to group needs, and a great desire to participate in the American democratic process in order to improve our nation and serve others. High aspirations and clear examples of self-motivation and creativity define Senate Youth delegates. Keep in mind that public service is the core mission of this program.

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In addition to the above, the following are desired qualities in candidates:

· Outstanding leadership and public speaking ability;

· High scholastic standing and demonstrated ability to achieve;

· Strong community and public service involvement and civic engagement;

· Participation in a wide selection of activities on and off campus; 

· Great social skills to participate in a large and dynamic group with relative ease; and

· Interest in America's political processes.

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Our past experience has shown us the ideal candidate is one who is truly interested in public service, government and politics, leadership, and history, and one who has a demonstrated desire to serve others in a leadership capacity. It is not just for academically gifted students who are interested in social studies, nor is it just for students who perform community service and who hold a leadership position. We look for students who have experience working with others as part of public and community service activities, and those who have demonstrated a commitment to public policy in general, and often to a specific policy area that is shown in their activities and previous engagement in the school and community. 

 

Simply holding a qualifying office and having received personal accolades is not enough - additional and often extraordinary examples of a student's passion for service and concern for others, their demonstrated work to better their schools and communities so that others can prosper, and their desire to dedicate their professional lives to public service in some capacity are often better indicators of if a student is the right fit for this program.  

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Ultimately, whether outspoken or soft spoken, we are looking to select students who will thrive during the Washington Week experience, and for whom the experience will be both personally meaningful and transformative for their future endeavors in the service of others. This is in many ways the primary criteria we use to select our delegates. While there is a financial award to this program, we consider this less of a "scholarship program" and more of one that will help launch our delegates into a life of service to others, specifically in the public sphere. 

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The US Senate Youth Program is strictly merit based and highly competitive. We look to annually select the two best representatives to send as delegates to the program. The chosen delegates from Pennsylvania are consistently of the highest caliber in the nation. The program is open to students irrespective of national origin, race, color, creed, age, religion, disability, first language, sex, sexual orientation or financial need. 

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What are the requirements to apply?

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The following requirements must be adhered to. They fall into four categories:

1. Citizenship, Residency, and Grade Requirements

2. School Requirements

3. Qualifying Position Requirement

4. Date and Meeting Requirements

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1. Citizenship, Residency, and Grade Requirements:

• The student nominated must be a United States Citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States.

  • Legal permanent resident means the student must be in possession of their I-551 / “green card” at the time of application to be eligible to apply.​

• Students must be full-time residents of Pennsylvania, and at least one of the student's parents must also be a legal resident of Pennsylvania.

  • A student attending a school in Pennsylvania, whose parents or guardians legal residence is outside Pennsylvania, or a Pennsylvania student attending school outside of Pennsylvania where neither of their parents reside, is not eligible to apply.

  • Exceptions to the residency requirement will only be made in the following cases:

    • Students from DoDEA overseas will represent the state(s) of which the parents/guardians are U.S. legal voting residents. Students attending DoD schools in the U.S. or students enrolled through U.S. military bases in local schools must be residing in the state in which their school is located for the entire academic year.

    • Students may reside in a state other than the state in which they attend school if they are enrolled in the only designated public high school available to them in a school district that crosses contiguous state borders through legal interstate agreement. Students in these schools shall make application to the program through the state where the high school is located and shall represent that state if selected.

      • For these purposes, this would mean that an out-of-state student was attending a Pennsylvania High School as that was their designated public high school. ​

• Students must be in their junior or senior year of high school to apply for the program. Seniors applying must remain enrolled in school until their class graduates in May/June (they may not be graduating early, such as in December/January). ​

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2. School Requirements:

• Pennsylvania public, charter or private high schools may nominate a student. 

  • Students are encouraged to speak to their school principal for more information regarding their school's nomination and selection process. ​

• Each high school may only nominate one student per year.

  • If more than one student is nominated from a high school, none of those students will be considered for the program.

  • If a school district has multiple high schools, each high school in the district may nominate a student.  
• Each high school determines its own process and procedures for nominating their student.

  • While each school is free to create and utilize whatever fair, appropriate nomination process they feel is most suitable, we suggest that each principal:

    • Assign one person to coordinate the initiative and serve as a contact person;

      • While the ultimate authority to nominate a student lies with the school principal, some principals delegate that authority to a vice-principal, a head counselor, or other appropriate person. ​

    • Disseminate information about the program by using all channels of communication;

    • Ask teachers to encourage eligible students who hold a Qualifying Position (see below) to participate;

    • Use a screening process to select a nominee.

      • The Hearst Foundation advises that the selection be based on a demonstration of leadership ability, high scholastic standing, demonstrated ability to achieve, clear speech, logical thought processes, and community involvement with participation in a wide selection of activities on and off campus. Nominees should also have a strong knowledge of, and interest in, government studies and public service.

      • Some schools conduct a selection process including a small committee—e.g., a school site council or school board member, a counselor, and a teacher who may interview potential candidates or oversee a nomination and application process.​

    • Ensure that the nominee meets all eligibility requirements (Citizenship/Residency/Grade AND hold a Qualifying Position). Schools who nominate ineligible students will forfeit their eligibility to participate in the program that year. ​

    • School principals may also consider watching this video from the New Jersey DOE featuring a former delegate discussing what to look for in nominees.​​​

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3. Qualifying Position Requirement:

• The student must be serving in an elected or appointed position in a civic based organization in the school or community, demonstrating they are actively representing a constituency in organizations related to student government, education, public affairs and community service. The student must be holding this position for the entirety of the current school year. The primary purposes of the qualifying leadership position must be representation of a constituency and service to others.

  • Examples of this include:

    • Serving as a class officer

    • An officer in Student Council/Government/Senate/SGA

    • An officer in an Honor Society (such as National Honor Society, as well as discipline-based Honor Societies such as the National English Honor Society and Social Studies Honor Societies that include service components)

    • An officer in FFA or 4-H

    • An officer in DECA or FBLA

    • An officer in Key Club or Interact

    • JROTC students who hold officer-level leadership positions within their cadet corps (such as Cadet Corps Commanders)

    • A student representative, elected or appointed (appointed by a panel, commission or board) to a local, district, regional, state, or national-level civic, service and/or educational organization approved by the state selection administrator, where the student holds a high-level position of representation to a constituency in a year-round capacity providing service to others.

      • Examples of this include, but are not limited to, a student representative on their school board or town council, an elected or appointed student officer of a regional, statewide, or national organization that is primarily service-based, etc.​ 

      • If a student is seeking eligibility through this route:​

        • The position they hold must be appointed or elected by a board, panel, or commission of people (i.e., more than one person).​

        • The position must be focused on service; performing a civic and educational function for the community at-large.

        • The position must be a year-long one.

        • The position must be approved by the state selection coordinator. If an applicant applies and their position is not deemed to be acceptable, their application will be disqualified. 

          • It is highly suggested that students seeking approval through this route contact the Pennsylvania Coordinator prior to applying to verify their eligibility.

          • It is the responsibility of the applicant to explain how their position meets the requirements of the USSYP, specifically:

            • It is a year-long position

            • It is for the current school year

            • It is in a service-based organization

            • It involves representing a constituency

            • It is elected or appointed by a board or group of individuals

            • It is not in a self-created group

  • Participation or holding an officer position in academic clubs and/or educational competition programs/conferences or organizations designed primarily for the student’s personal development and enrichment DO NOT qualify a student to apply for this program.

    • Having held any position in a previous school year can also be used as part of an application, but cannot be used as the qualifying position.

    • Any of the activities mentioned below may be used to support a candidate's overall portrait of leadership and can be used as part of the student's application, BUT MAY NOT be used as the qualifying position of eligibility that allows a student to apply. Other examples of organizations that DO NOT qualify as acceptable for making a student initially eligible to apply for this program include: 

      • A member (not officer) of an Honor Society, JROTC, or Student Council/Government/Senate/SGA

      • A member (not officer) of an organization such as FFA, 4-H, Key Club, Interact, DECA, or FBLA

      • Attendance or officer position at Boys/Girls Nation or State summer conference

      • A member or leader of the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts

      • A Captain or other leader of a sports team

      • A founder or chairperson of a self-created group

      • A participant, captain or officer in Mock Trial, Forensics/Debate Team, Model U.N. or other academic club, mock legislature, conference or competition where the primary engagement is for the individual educational enrichment or benefit.

• Students who cannot demonstrate holding an officer position in an acceptable organization for the entirety of the current school year will not be considered for this program. 

  • ​It is of critical importance that students ensure they hold a qualifying position, and that they hold this position during the current school year, before applying. If students do not meet this requirement, or if it cannot be verified their position qualifies based upon their application, their application will not be considered and they will not be notified.

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4. Required Dates, Meetings, and activities:

• The student must be able to travel to Harrisburg on Saturday, November 21, 2026, at their own expense. While in Harrisburg, students will participate in the following activities at the State Capitol:

  • Interview with a panel comprised of representatives from different groups, such as the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Pennsylvania Department of State, PA Principals Association, Pennsylvania Council for the Social Studies, PA Bar Association, and PASC. Students will be asked questions about their background, future plans, and about government and public affairs.

  • Take the Annual Public Affairs Exam provided by the Hearst Foundation. 

    • To prepare for this exam, it is suggested that students should study history, civics, the constitution, current and historic leaders in all three branches of government and current and historic opinions of the Supreme Court. They also must be familiar with major current events through July of the current year to be prepared for the exam.

  • Enjoy a luncheon with the other finalists. 

• The student, if selected for this program, must be able to attend the week in Washington (March 6-13, 2027) in its entirety (transportation and all other expenses paid for by the Hearst Foundation).

  • The Hearst Foundations will pay all expenses for Washington Week including transportation, hotel, and meals. The Department of Defense (DoD) annually provides a team of competitively selected men and women officers to serve as mentors and chaperones for the student delegates, and a registered nurse, licensed physician, and professional security team are always in place throughout the week.  ​

  • More information about the rules and policies of Washington Week can be found at the USSYP Website.

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In summary, in order to apply for this program, a student must:

• Be a US Citizen or legal permanent resident in possession of the I-511 card.

• Be a resident of Pennsylvania and have at least one parent who is a resident of Pennsylvania.

• Be a junior or senior in a Pennsylvania school and who will be enrolled for the entire current academic year.

• Be the only nominee of their school.

• Hold a qualifying position for the entirety of the current academic year, or hold a position they have verified meets the eligibility requirement.

• Be able to submit all required elements of the application by the deadline.

• Be available for an in-person interview in Harrisburg if they are a finalist, and for the entirety of Washington Week if they are selected as a delegate.