2025 UNITED STATES SENATE YOUTH PROGRAM MENTOR SOLICITATION AND APPLICATION PROCESS


https://www.marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/3941271/2025-united-states-senate-youth-program-mentor-solicitation-and-application-pro/

R 211851Z OCT 24 MARADMIN 499/24 MSGID/MARADMIN/CMC CD WASHINGTON DC// SUBJ/2025 UNITED STATES SENATE YOUTH PROGRAM MENTOR SOLICITATION AND APPLICATION PROCESS// POC/B.S. STACY/MAJ/COMMUNITY RELATIONS/TEL: 703-695-5206/EMAIL:  [email protected]// POC/T.H. CAMPBELL/CIV/COMMUNITY RELATIONS BRANCH HEAD/ TEL:  703-571-1905/EMAIL: [email protected]// GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  This MARADMIN solicits applications from First  Lieutenants, Captains, Majors, and Lieutenant Colonels to serve as  military mentors for the 2025 United States Senate Youth Program  (USSYP) Washington Week to be held in person in Washington, DC from  1-8 March 2025.   2.  Background: The USSYP is an annual educational program sponsored  by the United States Senate and funded by the William Randolph  Hearst Foundation. The program provides 104 high school students  from across the country an opportunity to learn firsthand about the  functions of government and encourages those considering a future in  public service. The Armed Forces support for the USSYP includes  seventeen (17) Military Officer Mentors. Two (2) of these officers  will be selected to serve as the Senior Military Mentor (SMM) and  the Assistant Senior Military Mentor (ASMM). USSYP military mentors  represent their individual Service components and serve as role  models for the 104 student delegates, two from each state, the  District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education  Activity. They exemplify the highest standards of decorum and  protocol, facilitate inclusive and insightful debate and discussion  among the students, and assist USSYP staff with implementation of  the program agenda. Each military mentor is assigned a group of  student delegates for the duration of the program, presenting a  unique opportunity for these bright and influential young Americans  to gain a better understanding of DoD’s mission, people, and  inter-relationships with the other branches of federal government.  3.  Funding and Travel Requirement:  If selected to be a USSYP  military mentor, the service member's command is responsible to fund  travel to and from Washington, DC and must place service member on  official orders. 4.  Nominee Per DoD Component:  The Marine Corps will nominate from  Active Duty and Active Reserve, sixteen (16) officers total to the  Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs for final  selection. Prior USSYP military mentors (O-2-O-5) are encouraged to  re-apply. Applicants must meet Marine Corps height and weight  standards and must secure command endorsement for participation.  Lieutenant Colonels must have served previously as a military mentor  for this program. Lieutenant Colonel submissions that do not meet  this pre-requisite will be automatically excluded. Submissions do  not guarantee selection.   5.  Mentor Availability:  Officers selected as the SMM and ASMM are  required to report to the USSYP program site in Washington DC on  Monday, 24 February 2025 for advanced preparation training. The  rest of the mentor team will report on Thursday, 27 February 2025.  All mentors should plan for the event to conclude no earlier than  Saturday, 8 March 2025. For those selected as a mentor officer,  military duties must not conflict with continuous assignment and  responsibilities associated with this program. Supervisor letter of  recommendation must state that, if selected, the nominee will be  available to participate in the total duration of program, to  include pre-program training. USSYP is a fully immersive experience.  Program days are long and structured. There is no available  “down time” for other work projects or diversions during Washington  Week. If Washington Week unexpectedly transitions from an in-person  experience to a completely online format in 2025, all military  mentors will be required to obtain dedicated access to a personal  computer with high-speed internet, webcam, and microphone in an  appropriate area free of distraction. 6.  Additional Requirements:  Military mentors should have the  following attributes: (a) Have a successful history of working with high school students  and youth-oriented programs. (b) Be willing and able to put in consecutive 18-hour days. (c) Be extremely flexible and able to accept changes in schedule or  direction on very short notice without complaint or visible negative  reaction. (d) Be sociable, verbally confident, and proficient at facilitating  group discussions. (e) Be able to suppress their personal desires for the good of the  mission. (f) Be able to show respect to all age groups and types of  audiences. (g) Be well versed in the history and current missions of their  Service and Department. (h) Be adept as both a leader and an action officer on a  multi-Service team. (i) Be enthusiastic and highly motivated during the entire week. (j) Be healthy and have good stamina. (k) Be able to deal fairly and firmly with student delegates without  becoming dictatorial. (l) Be a model of professional comport and discretion in behavior  and language. (m) Be willing to both lead and participate in all aspects of the  USSYP team mission. (n) Be comfortable working with all levels of private sector and  government officials. (o) Be able to accurately receive, convey, and execute detailed  instructions. (p) Be skillful at facilitating operational logistics and movements. (q) Have at least two complete and appropriate sets of Service dress  uniforms. 7.  EVALUATION CRITERIA:  The competitive selection process is  designed to provide the program with officers who, as a group,  represent the broadest range of military skills, geographic  assignments, and leadership experiences. As part of the selection  process, all nominees will be evaluated by the Office of the  Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs on: (a) Maturity and leadership skills as expressed by their  supervisor’s recommendation. (b) Military career (variety of assignments, awards, recognitions,  and duty stations). (c) Educational background (honors, student government, fellowships,  leadership roles). (d) Professional appearance based on the photograph supplied with  the nomination packet. (e) History of leading/coaching/working with high school students  and youth programs. (f) Total professional/personal experience relevant to USSYP  objectives. (g) Motivations for wanting to be a USSYP military mentor. (h) Previous military mentors may apply but are not guaranteed  selection. 8.  Senior Military Mentor and Assistant Senior Military Mentor: DoD  will select two officers – typically prior USSYP military mentors –  to serve as Senior Military Mentor and Assistant Senior Military  Mentor. Selectees must adhere to the published military-civilian  leadership protocol in order to ensure a successful program. 9.  Nomination Package:  Nomination packages that do not comply with  the required format and submission order will be disqualified  automatically. Do not consolidate and submit the entire package in a  .pdf format. Address packages and letters to the USSYP Military  Mentor Selection Panel. Verify compliance with all instructions and  templates prior to submission. Additional documentation is not  required and discouraged. 10.  Page One Instructions: Submit introduction as page 1 of the  nomination package. Use a plain sheet of 8.5 x 11 paper; do not use  letterhead or graphics. Use 1 inch margins on all sides top, bottom,  left, right). Use 12 point Times New Roman font. Follow the template  below, delete the brackets after providing the requested  information. Include the disclosure statement. Save as a Microsoft  Word format. Name the file in all caps: LAST NAME, FIRST NAME_PAGE 

  1. Must be addressed to the 2025 United States Senate Youth Program  (USSYP) Military Mentor Selection Panel. Due to the Privacy Act  Laws, all personal information must be submitted using electronic  encryption. Each nomination package must include the following in  this order and format (where stated). Page One Format:  Contact Information (Centered) {Space} {Rank}{First Name}{Middle Initial}. {Last Name} {U.S. Marine Corps}           Nominee Information                Work Mailing Address: {Unit Name}, {Street Address},                {City}, {State}, {Zip Code}                Work E-Mail Address:                Work Phone Number(s): {###-###-####}                Home Mailing Address: {Street Address},                {City}, {State}, {Zip Code}                Home E-mail Address:                Home Phone Number:{###-###-####}                Mobile Phone Number (s): {###-###-####}           First Line Unit Commander                {Rank}{First Name}{Middle Initial}. {Last Name}                {Title}                Work Mailing Address:                Work E-Mail Address:                Work Phone Number (s): {###-###-####}           Division or Wing Commander                {Rank}{First Name}{Middle Initial}. {Last Name}                {Title}                {Work Mailing Address: {Street Address}, {City},                {State}, {Zip Code}                Work E-Mail Address:                Work Phone Number(s): {###-###-####} (a)  Include the disclosure statement: “I authorize the release of  information enclosed in this information package only to those  persons involved in the selection process. If selected, I further  authorize the release of limited information to the U.S. Senate  Youth Program to administer my participation.”
  2.  Page Two Instructions:  Submit biography as page 2 of the  nomination package. Use a plain sheet of 8.5 x 11 paper: Do not use  letterhead or graphics. Use 1 inch margins on all sides (top,  bottom, left, right). Use 12 point Times New Roman font. Single  space paragraphs; double space between paragraphs. Align left; do  not indent paragraphs. Limit to one page. Write the biography as a  third-person narrative, not a bulleted Q&A list. Use plain language.  Consider that this biography will be included in the USSYP student  delegate packages, and most delegates have had little to no exposure  to the military. Save as a Microsoft Word format. Name the file in all caps: LAST NAME, FIRST NAME_page 2. Page Two Format: Biography: (Centered) {Space} {Rank}{First Name}{Middle Initial}. {Last Name} {U.S. Marine Corps} Please address the following in your biography, along with any other  pertinent details: (a)  High School: name, location, student leadership positions,  awards, honors, scholarship, exchange programs. (b)  College: name, location, degree(s), major(s), leadership  positions, fellowships, publications, awards, honors. (c)  Commissioning source: Service Academy, ROTC, OCS, etc. (d)  History of working with teenager programs or high school  students. (e)  Why did you choose to serve in the military? (f)  Military Career (describe in civilian terms): current  assignment, also note your primary career field (e.g. pilot,  attorney, engineer, etc.) if currently detailed to a special duty  assignment (e.g. executive officer, legislative fellow, etc.) duty  description assignments, deployments, ability to lead troops and  facilitate logistics. (g)  Special recognitions, achievements, annual/quarterly awards,  personal decorations (meritorious service medal or higher). (h)  History working with high school students or teenage youth  programs. (i)  Off duty activities and interests. (j)  Why do you want to be a military mentor? (k)  What can you offer the USSYP program? (l)  If you are a former USSYP student delegate and/or military  mentor, mention the year(s) and your impression of the program or  its impact on you.
  3.  Page Three Instructions:  Submit a one-paragraph proposed  introduction as page 3 of the nomination package. Use a plain sheet  of 8.5 x 11 paper:  Do not use letterhead or graphics. Use 1 inch  margins on all sides (top, bottom, left, right). Use 12 point Times  New Roman font. Double space. Align left, do not indent paragraph.  Follow the template below, delete the brackets after providing the  requested information. Limit to 100-150 words. Consider that there  are twelve mentor bios to be read aloud in sequence as part of a  larger program; therefore be brief. Use plain language.  Most of the  audience will have had little to no exposure to the military. Save  as Microsoft Word format. Name the file in all caps: LAST NAME,  FIRST NAME_page 3. Page Three Format: Proposed Introduction: (Centered) {Space} {Rank}{First Name}{Middle Initial}. {Last Name} {U.S. Marine Corps} A one paragraph proposed introduction, utilizing the following  template: {Name} is currently serving as {duty position} where {he/she}  {explain duties in one sentence}. {He/she} grew up in {city, state},  and received {his/her} {college degree title(s)/ major(s)} from  {school name}. Next, mention any notable extracurricular activities  that would resonate with the USSYP delegates. {He/she} has had  assignments in {list countries and/or states only} and served in  {note deployments and cite responsibilities}. Close with one or two  notable hobbies and (slant)or interesting fact(s) you would like the  students to know.
  4.  Page Four Instructions:  Submit endorsement from supervisor as  page 4 of the nomination package. The endorsement should be  addressed from the applicants unit to the 2025 United States Senate  Youth Program Mentor Selection Panel via his/her chain of command.  Use official letterhead. At a minimum, the final endorsement should  be provided by the nominees Battalion/Squadron Commander. The  applicant’s immediate supervisor is encouraged to provide comments  focused on maturity, leadership skills, communication skills,  professional appearance and community involvement. The endorsement  must include the following statement:  "If {nominee name} is  selected, {he/she} will be available to participate in all  activities for the duration of the USSYP, 27 February through 8  March 2025." Majors and Lieutenant Colonels should modify this  statement to indicate their availability from 24 February through 8  March 2025, in the event they are selected as the Senior Mentor  Officer or Assistant Senior Mentor Officer. Limit to one page. Save  in .PDF format. Name the file in all caps: LAST NAME, FIRST  NAME_page 4.
  5.  Page Five Instructions:  Full-Length Photograph:  Submit a  full-length photograph in Service 'C' Uniform as page 5 of the  nomination package. The photo does not need to be "official"  military photo, but must be detailed and large enough to determine professional military appearance. Standing posture may be at a  45-degree angle or straight on. Natural face expression, with or  without smile, is appropriate. If selected, a headshot from this  photo will be used for your bio in the student handbook. Photo may  also be used by USSYP for their security requirements. Save in .jpg  format, at least 300 dpi resolution. Name the file in all caps: LAST  NAME, FIRST NAME_page 5.
  6.  Applications must be sent electronically to the HQMC Community  Relations Organizational Mailbox to the following address:  [email protected] with a subject line of “2025 U.S. Senate Youth  Military Mentor Selection Panel ICO rank/name.”
  7.  Deadline:  The Communication Directorate must receive  applications no later than COB 1700 EDT 8 November 2024.   Applications that do not meet the required due date will be  disqualified automatically. Addressees will be notified of selection  mid-January 2025. For additional information on the nomination  application process and criteria, please visit the DoD-hosted USSYP  Military Mentor Candidate site (CAC required) at:  https:(slash)(slash)pa.sp.pentagon.mil/SenateYouthProgram/SitePages/ Home.aspx.  For information on the USSYP, please visit  www.ussenateyouth.org.
  8.  Release authorized by SES April L. Langwell, Director of  Communication, Headquarters Marine Corps.//