R 211600Z OCT 22
MARADMIN 554/22
MSGID/MARADMIN/CMC CD WASHINGTON DC//
SUBJ/2023 UNITED STATES SENATE YOUTH PROGRAM MENTOR SOLICITATION AND APPLICATION PROCESS//
POC/M.A. HOFFMAN/MAJ/COMMUNITY RELATIONS/TEL: 703-695-1601/EMAIL: MARCUS.HOFFMAN@USMC.MIL/
POC/T.H. CAMPBELL/CIV/COMMUNITY RELATIONS BRANCH HEAD/TEL: 703-571-1905/EMAIL: TRACEY.CAMPBELL2@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  This MARADMIN solicits applications from First Lieutenants, Captains, Majors, and Lieutenant Colonels to serve as military mentors for the 2023 United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) scheduled 4-11 March 2023.
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.
3.  Requirement:  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.
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 (02-05) 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 Director on Tuesday, 28 February 2023 for advanced preparation training.  The rest of the mentor team will report on Thursday, 2 March 2023.  All mentors should plan to conclude no earlier than Saturday, 11 March.  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.  All military mentors must have an approval for administrative absence, or be in a leave/pass status in order to attend.  If Washington Week unexpectedly transitions from an in-person experience to a completely online format in 2023, 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.
8.  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 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.
9.  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.
10.  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.
11.  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, 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 2023 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.”
12.  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, 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 delegated 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.
13.  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, 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. 
14.  Page Four Instructions.  Supervisory Letter of Endorsement:  Submit endorsement from supervisor as page 4 of the nomination package.  The endorsement should be addressed from the applicants unit to the 2023 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/educational 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, March 2-11, 2023."  Majors and Lieutenant Colonels should modify this statement to indicate their availability from 2-11 March 2023, 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.
15.  Page Five Instructions.  Full-Length Photograph:  Submit a full-length photograph in Service Dress 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.
16.  Applications must be sent electronically to the COMREL Organizational Mailbox to the following address: hqmc.comrel@usmc.mil, with a subject line of “2023 U.S. Senate Youth Military Mentor Selection Panel ICO rank/name.”
17.  Deadline.  The Communication Directorate must receive applications no later than COB 1700 EDT 25 November 2022.  Applications that do not meet the required due date will be disqualified automatically.  Addressees will be notified of selection mid-January 2023.  For additional information on the nomination application process and criteria, please visit the DoD-hosted USSYP Military Mentor Candidate site (CAC required) at:  http:(slash)(slash)pa.sp.pentagon.mil/SenateYouthProgram/SitePages/Home.aspx.  For information on the USSYP, please visit www.ussenateyouth.org.
18.  Release authorized by SES April L. Langwell, Director of Communication, Headquarters Marine Corps.//