WASHINGTON – The Senate Youth Program has begun its statewide search for two Maine high school students to spend a week in Washington observing the federal government in action, according to an announcement by U.S. Sens. Olympia J. Snowe and Susan M. Collins.

The two Maine students will join 102 others March 2-9, 2002, for the program’s 40th anniversary Washington Week.

Each student delegate – representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Department of Defense schools overseas – will receive a $2,000 scholarship for college. The scholarship and Washington Week are fully funded by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation.

Each state’s chief school officer, in cooperation with high school principals, coordinates delegation selection. Delegates must be junior or senior elected student officers for the 2001-2002 academic year and reside in the state where they attend school. Exceptions for the residency rule are made for the Department of Defense Education Activity and for states with schools under Interstate Compacts (by consent of the U.S. Congress) that currently exist between New Hampshire and Maine and New Hampshire and Vermont.

Names of students selected will be announced Dec. 13, and for Maine, applications must be received by Oct. 17. Interested students can contact their high school principal, or Dr. Edwin Kastuck, the selection administrator, at 624-6776.

Information is also available at www.ussenateyouth.org.