Youth Ambassadors Program
Youth Ambassadors 2009 during a visit to the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C.
The U.S. has a basic philosophy that every person can make a difference and we invest heavily in people, particularly in young people that we think will be the future leaders of both the U.S. and Brazil.
One of our most visible programs is the Youth Ambassadors which recognizes outstanding young people from the public school system. Each year, the U.S. Mission selects 35 young people from 15-18 years old who demonstrate academic excellence, good English capability, strong character, and a commitment to community service. These amazing young people travel to the U.S. for a 3-week program where they meet with government leaders in Washington, DC and then spend two weeks in a complete American experience: living with an American family and attending a US high school. Recruitment begins in April each year. For more information on the program and to see the latest pictures of this year’s participants, please access the program’s hotsite at www.jovensembaixadores.org.
Now in its ninth edition, the Brazil program has become a best practice model at State Department and is being replicated in twelve other countries. Also, through the assistance of the Fulbright EducationUSA Centers, we have been able to offer some of these outstanding students scholarship opportunities for short-term and full undergraduate degree programs in the U.S. In 2009 alone, scholarship offers reached over US$1.5 million.
In 2009, over 4,000 students from across Brazil applied for the program.
