The 15th edition of the program will take students on a three-week exchange program.
Fifty students from public schools across the country arrive in Brasília today, January 10, for visa interviews and orientation before taking part in the fifteenth edition of the Youth Ambassadors Program, a three-week cultural exchange in United States. They were selected from more than 18,000 public school students, have leadership skills, speak English and are full of energy to represent Brazil in the USA. The program is sponsored by the USA’s Diplomatic Mission and public and private partners, and is one of many initiatives run by the USA’s Diplomatic Mission in Brazil that promote dialogue and mutual understanding between Brazilians and Americans.
To celebrate the fifteenth edition of the program, the US Embassy has prepared a special program for these talented young people. From January 10 to 13 they will gather in Brasília and will have the opportunity to meet over 30 representatives from all 14 previous editions of the program to exchange experiences and learn how the program has changed each of their lives over the years.
The US exchange program takes place from January 14 to February 5 with a schedule focused on youth leadership in Lake Tahoe, one of the most majestic lakes in the USA, on the border of California and Nevada. According to the famous American writer, Mark Twain, the air Lake Tahoe “is the same as the angels breathe. “They will then be split into smaller groups to go to different American cities (Seattle, WA, Portland, OR, Tulsa, OK, Reno, NV and Pensacola, FL) where they will be staying in the homes of volunteer families. The program will conclude with a stop in the US capital, Washington, DC.
Over these three weeks the young people will take part in meetings with US government officials and community leaders, visit schools and social projects, participate in volunteering activities and, as representatives of Brazilian youth in the USA, will also give presentations about Brazil, its culture and its people. At the end of the trip, they will present action plans in a volunteer area to be implemented in their communities after returning to Brazil.
Meet 2017’s participants: https://br.usembassy.gov/pt/embaixada-dos-eua-divulga-nomes-dos-50-selecionados-para-programa-jovens-embaixadores-2017/
The program:
Since its launch in 2002, 467 young Brazilians from the public school network have taken part in the program. Over 18,700 young people applied for the 2017 edition. Since 2012 the program has been run in every country on the American continent and also involves a reverse exchange for American students to get to know other countries. In Brazil, the partners of this initiative are: the National Council of Education Departments (CONSED) and the State Education Departments, the network of Brazil-United States Binational Centers, and FedEx, MSD, Microsoft, Bradesco, IBM and Boeing Brasil.
Media outlets interested in interviewing the Youth Ambassadors before they leave for the USA should contact the Press Office at the US Mission in Brazil, in Brasília.(+55 61) 3312-7367 / 7364 / 7350.
For further information on this Press Release, please contact the US Embassy Press Office in Brasília at BrasiliaEMBEUA@state.gov or on (+55 61) 3312 – 7367 / 7350 / 7364.
