The 50th Anniversary United States Senate Youth Program Washington Week took place just a few weeks ago – March 3 – 10, 2012. What an extraordinary week it was! The student delegates you selected this year were a wonderful group of young people who could not have been more perfectly suited to represent the program at this important milestone. Two from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity came together for an intensive educational experience about the American government, learning from and being inspired by the highest level elected and appointed officials in the country. Speakers for the 50th Anniversary program included:
- President Barack Obama
- The Chief Justice of the U.S. John Roberts
- Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta
- Senator Jeff Bingaman
- Senator Susan Collins (USSYP alumna of Maine – 1971)
- Congressman Cory Gardner (USSYP alumnus of Colorado – 1993)
- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden
- UK Ambassador to the U.S. Sir Peter Westmacott
- Brian Lamb, Founder and CEO of C-SPAN
Each year, the state department of education selection administrators from the states of the two acting Senate Co-Chairs are invited to attend Washington Week and see the program and the students up close. This year, Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico and Senator Susan Collins of Maine were the USSYP Co-Chairs and we were pleased to host Mr. Erik Bose, Principal of SIATech Charter High School in Albuquerque, and Ms. Jaci Holmes, Federal State Legislative Liaison, Maine Department of Education as our distinguished guests in education for the week.
In addition to the White House meeting with the President, 68 United States Senators came to the 50th Anniversary USSYP Annual Reception for all Senators and Students to meet the two students from their state, have a chance to get acquainted and to sign the students' certificates of scholarship that convey the $5,000 scholarship. Thank you to all the Senators who attended!
Reprinted with permission of The William Randolph Hearst Foundation
Indiana's 2012 participants
