The Youth Ambassadors Program is an initiative of social responsibility of the U.S. Embassy in Brazil, in partnership with public and private organizations.  Among our key collaborators are the National Council of State Secretaries of Education – CONSED, the large network of U.S.-Brazil Binational Centers – BNCs, and companies with clear commitment to corporate social responsibility: FedEx, MSD, Microsoft, IBM, Bradesco Bank, and Boeing.

Created in 2002, this program targets Brazilian students who are examples in their communities – in terms of proven leadership, positive attitude, volunteer work, academic excellence, and English language ability. The Program aims at strengthening public education through these students, transforming them into role models in their communities.

It is a very competitive program and receives applications from all over Brazil.  Awarded students travel in January for a three-week program in the United States. During the first week, they visit the capital of the United States and its main landmarks, participate in meetings with public and private sector organizations, visit schools and social projects, and participate in youth leadership workshops.

After that first week in Washington, D.C., they are divided into smaller groups that go to different States in the US, where they stay with host families, attend classes in local high schools and interact with U.S. students of their same age, take part in cultural and social responsibility activities in the community, and give presentations about Brazil.

The experience of being a Youth Ambassador gives these outstanding students the opportunity to expand their horizons, at the same time as they help us strengthen the ties of friendship, respect and collaboration between Brazil and the United States.

Learn more about the Youth Ambassadors Program.

Responding positively to the need to the increasing number of applicants for the Youth Ambassadors Program and the limited number of slots available for the exchange in the U.S., the U.S. Embassy in Brazil, in partnership with U.S.-Brazil Binational Centers, created the “English Immersion USA” program in 2006. This week-long program offers over 100 runners-up of the Youth Ambassadors selection process a full immersion experience in English language and U.S. culture.

The EIP covers the following themes:

• U.S. history
• U.S. geography
• English language learning
• U.S. culture and society
• Conversation classes
• Cooking sessions
• Sports in the U.S.
• Social activities (4th of July celebration, costume party, karaoke in English, etc.)

Every year the program focusses on a different aspect of U.S. culture and requires that, at the end of the program, participants give a brief presentation on their topic. Program themes have already included “Regions of the U.S.”, “Route 66”, “Music through the Decades”, “Sports in America”, and “The American Dream: the Cultural Influences of Immigration in the U.S.”. This final project provides participants with a learning journey about the U.S., at the same time as it helps them develop their teamwork, leadership, and public speaking skills.

To the extent possible, we always try to include the participation of U.S. diplomats, English Teaching Fellows and/or English Teaching Assistants in the program, so as to provide more authenticity to the activities.

The EIP takes place every July, either with the entire group at one single location, or in smaller groups at three to five different locations.  The implementation of the EIP is always done in partnership with Brazilian Binational Centers.

Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSIs) for Student Leaders are five-to-six-week academic programs designed for foreign undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 25 to improve their understanding of the United States and to develop their leadership skills. Institutes include a four-week academic residency consisting of interactive classroom activities, discussions, lectures, readings, site visits, and workshops; a one week educational study tour to a different region of the United States; leadership skills building activities; community service; and opportunities to interact with their American peers on a college campus.  Each Institute includes approximately 20 participants from selected countries.

See more at: http://exchanges.state.gov/non-us/program/study-us-institutes-student-leaders#sthash.dTIjr0s4.dpuf

The National Youth Science Camp is a residential science education program for young scientists the summer after they graduate from high school. Students from around the country are challenged academically in exciting lectures and hands-on studies, and have voluntary opportunities to participate in an outdoor adventure program, gain a new and deep appreciation for the great outdoors, and establish friendships that last a lifetime.

The National Youth Science Camp program is strengthened through a philosophy that encourages delegates to experience each day by day. This philosophy permits the Staph* to plan numerous special events that surprise the participants. This philosophy also encourages the delegates to give undistracted attention to guest presenters. The National Youth Science Camp does not, therefore, publish detailed program calendars.

* Not misspelled; this is a traditional NYSC spelling to highlight their infectious enthusiasm

For more information, please visit the National Youth Science Camp’s website at http://wwwf.nysf.com/w/programs/nysc/

The U.S. State Department’s English Access Microscholarship Program provides a two-year English language scholarship to non-elite, 14-18 year old students worldwide through afterschool classes and intensive summer learning activities. Access students gain an appreciation for American culture and democratic values, increase their ability to participate successfully in the socio-economic development of their countries, and gain the ability to compete for and participate in future U.S. exchange and study programs. Since its inception in 2004, approximately 44,000 students in more than 55 countries have participated in the Access Program.

In Brazil, the program has already been successfully implemented in São Paulo, Salvador, Recife and Porto Alegre and, in 2010, in Manaus and Rio de Janeiro.

For more information on the program, please access its website at http://exchanges.state.gov/englishteaching/eam.html.