• Civil Society and Governance
  • Civil Society and Governance Overview
  • Institutional Capacity Building
  • Civic Education
  • Citizen Participation
  • Advocacy
  • Democratic Governance
  • Grants Solicitation and Management Capacity
  • Women's and Minority Rights
  • Disenfranchised Groups
• Education
  • Education Overview
  • Basic Education
  • Higher Education
  • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
  • Education for Vulnerable Groups
• HIV/AIDS
  • HIV/AIDS Overview
  • HIV/AIDS Prevention
  • Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC)
  • Grants Solicitation and Management Capacity
  • Institutional Capacity Building
• International Visitors Exchanges
  • International Professional, Academic, and Cultural Exchanges Overview
  • Undergraduate and Graduate Academic Exchanges
  • Professional Exchanges
  • Youth Exchanges
• Capacity Development and Training
  • Capacity Development and Training Overview
  • Participant Training
  • Institutional Capacity Building
  • Undergraduate and Graduate Academic Exchanges
  • Grant Solicitation and Management Capacity
  • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

Youth Exchanges

Youth Ambassadors Program for South America – Brazil, Argentina & Chile, Bolivia & Peru

The Youth Ambassadors Program for South America (YAP) will give students and adult leaders an opportunity to develop leadership and problem-solving skills that enable them to act as leaders in their communities.  The project aims to hone participants' sense of civic responsibility and foster civic activism.  Through experiential activities, discussions, site visits, training modules, and home stays, participants will have the opportunity to develop the knowledge, attitudes, intellectual skills, and practical competencies to effectively lead efforts for positive social change.  While in the U.S., participants will increase their understanding of American institutions while engaging in civic life in the U.S.  Participants will explore facets unique to each country's history and identity, and engage in discussion and educational activities that promote learning on an academic and a personal level.  YAP will show participants how they can become more engaged in their schools and communities, and develop leadership skills that enable them to do so.  Participants will be required to implement follow-on activities upon their return home that will help the participants stay in touch with each other and reflect on their experiences and integrate that learning into their day-to-day lives at home.  An important goal of the program is that the student leaders, now empowered, will train other student leaders through student led community oriented service projects.

The Youth Ambassadors Program for Brazil is a three week youth leadership exchange based in the U.S. for thirty-five Brazilian teenagers ages 15-18 and two adult mentors.  The U.S. exchange will take place in January.  As part of a reciprocal exchange during the summer, thirteen American students and one adult mentor will travel to Brazil.  American students must  live within the area of jurisdiction of one of the U.S. host community partners: Montana Center for International Visitors (Bozeman, MT), International House of Metrolina (Charlotte, NC), Cleveland Council on World Affairs (Cleveland, OH), World Affairs Council-Seattle (Seattle, WA), Tulsa Global Alliance (Tulsa, OK), and Washington, DC.

The Youth Ambassadors Program for Argentina and Chile is a three week youth leadership exchange based in the U.S. for thirty Argentine and Chilean teenagers ages 15-18 and four adult mentors.  The U.S. exchange will take place in March/April. 

The Youth Ambassadors Program for Bolivia and Peru is a three week youth leadership exchange based in the U.S. for thirty Bolivian and Peruvian teenagers ages 15-18 and four adult mentors.  The U.S. exchange will take place in November/December.

The U.S. Department of State has set the following program goals:

• Promote mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and South America;
• Prepare youth leaders to become responsible citizens and contributing members of their communities
• Significantly influence the attitudes of the leaders of a new generation; and
• Foster relationships among youth from different ethnic, religious, and national groups and create networks of hemispheric youth leaders, both within the participating countries and internationally.

Building upon these goals and the project themes, World Learning proposes additional goals to:

• identify and effectively use leadership and dialogue skills;
• increase understanding of diversity in the U.S. and own community, and
• learn about role of government in America.