BISMARCK, N.D., Dec. 21, 2021 – State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler congratulated two high school seniors who have been named as North Dakota’s delegates for the U.S. Senate Youth Program. The honor includes a $10,000 college scholarship and the opportunity to attend a weeklong online leadership program in Washington, D.C., next spring.
Emma Kratcha, a Hankinson High School senior, and Sydney Ebach, a senior at Bismarck’s Legacy High School, were chosen by education leaders who evaluated the candidates’ applications. Each applicant also wrote an essay about issues the Nation’s youth have brought to greater public attention.
In March, Ebach and Kratcha will participate in “Washington Week,” an online event at which Youth Program delegates take part in briefings and meetings with senators, the president, a U.S. Supreme Court justice, cabinet members, and federal agency leaders. The event is being held online, rather than in person, because the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect indoor gatherings and building access in Washington.
Each year, two student delegates and two alternates from each state, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense’s education system are chosen to take part in the U.S. Senate Youth Program. Two Bismarck Century High School seniors, Olivia Data and Payton Bergman, were selected as North Dakota’s alternate delegates.
In addition to attending Washington Week, Ebach and Kratcha will receive $10,000 undergraduate college scholarships, funded by the Hearst Foundation.
To apply for a U.S. Senate Youth Program delegate slot, a high school junior or senior must hold a leadership position in a civic or educational organization or student government.
The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction’s website includes information about the program. Students may obtain U.S. Senate Youth Program applications from their high school principals, school counselors, or social studies teachers. Applications may be downloaded from the NDDPI website and emailed to dpipa@nd.gov.
Applicants must attend a North Dakota school, and at least one parent or guardian of the applicant must be a North Dakota resident who is eligible to vote.