Superintendent Elsie Arntzen Encourages High School Students to apply for the 2024 U.S. Senate Youth Program Scholarship

• Brian O'Leary
• September 25 2023

HELENA – Superintendent Elsie Arntzen is encouraging Junior and Senior high school student leaders to apply for the 2024 United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) Scholarship. The two students chosen to represent Montana will each receive a $10,000 college scholarship along with a required Washington Week Program, March 2-9, 2024. Applications close on October 2, 2023, and awards will be announced in January 2024.

“Civics and government education is important to all our Montanans, which is why I incorporated them in our state standards and our graduation requirements,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “The Senate Youth Program emphasizes students’ leadership in civics and government through a hands-on approach. I encourage all Montana students to apply.”

To qualify for the USSYP students must:

• Be a junior or senior in a Montana public, private, or charter high school. 
• Hold a leadership position in any one of the following student government, civic, or educational organizations. Leadership roles are subject to verification and judgement of the state selection administrator.
  • Student body president, vice president, secretary, or treasurer
  • Class president, vice president, secretary, or treasurer
  • Student Council representative
  • National Honor Society officer
  • Student representative elected or appointed (by a panel, commission, or board) to a local, district, regional, state-level civic, service, and/or educational organization
• Be a permanent resident of the United States at the time of application
• Be a Montana resident at the time of application

The USSYP Washington Week Program includes meetings with senators, the president, Cabinet secretaries, a Supreme Court Justice, senior members of the national media, and other policymakers. Students are encouraged to use the scholarship to continue their education in history, government, and public affairs.

The 2023 USSYP awardees from Montana were:

• Lilly Miller, who was a senior at Hellgate High School in Missoula and served as the National Honor Society president.
• Alec Wells, who was a junior at C.M. Russell High School in Great Falls and served as a Junior Class president.

For information about the Montana USSYP Scholarship, please contact Kristen Bokovoy, USSYP Coordinator, at Kristen.Bokovoy2@mt.gov or (406) 444-2417.