Applications are being accepted from outstanding high school students currently serving in an elected or appointed leadership position for the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP). The 2026 USSYP application must be submitted by October 27. Students selected will gain a unique, once-in-a-lifetime educational experience and receive a $10,000 scholarship for their undergraduate studies. Finalists will be selected and interviewed in November, and two student leaders will be chosen to represent Wyoming.
Participants will spend a week in Washington, D.C. Student delegates will hear major policy addresses by senators, cabinet members, officials from the Departments of State and Defense, and directors of other federal agencies. They will visit historical sites, national monuments, and the White House, and participate in meetings with a U.S. Supreme Court Justice and the President of the United States. The Hearst Foundation will provide all transportation, hotel, and meal expenses.
To qualify, high school juniors or seniors must hold a leadership position for the current 2025-26 school year in one of the following student government, civic, or educational organizations, which include:
- Class president, vice president, secretary, or treasurer.
- Student Council representative.
- National Honor Society officer (including discipline-based Honor Societies such as the National English Society and Social Studies Honor Societies that include service components).
- Student representative (elected or appointed by a panel, commission, or board) to a local, district, regional, or state-level civic, service, and/or educational organization approved by the state selection administrator.
- Student officer-level leadership positions within the cadet corps, often called Cadet Corps Commander. (JROTC Cadet alone will NOT qualify).
For more information, contact Madison Lacey, Teacher Leadership & Awards Consultant, at madison.lacey@wyo.gov or 307-777-6840.
