Guyanese students urged to apply for US youth ambassador programme

Secondary schools students interested in joining the US Embassy’s Youth Ambassador Program (YAP) for 2013-2014 are invited to apply now.

According to a press release from the US Embassy, the YAP, which is a three-week cultural and leadership exchange programme, underscores US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s priority of engaging international youths in meaningful dialogue fostering relationships among youths from all walks and backgrounds and creating networks of youth leaders around the world.  The 2013-14 exchange will involve three separate three-week US visits, on February 3-25, 2013; October 6-29, 2013 and February 2-25, 2014, the release said.

The YAP is open to youth ambassadors and mentors from Guyana and other Caribbean countries.

The ambassadors, in mixed groups will visit Denver, Colorado and Washington DC for exchanges that focus on civic education, community service, and youth development, along with the sub-theme of social entrepreneurship, according to the release.

Apart from the younger ambassadors, the adult representatives will be engaged in sessions during the programme together with other peers, which is designed to help foster leadership and civic education programmes. Participants will stay in retreat and conference locations and with the host families.

The release said that alumni will develop projects which will serve the needs of their communities after they return home.  Meanwhile, the 11 students and two mentors who participated in the first round for Guyana in September this year, visited Washington DC and Wyoming.

The students had the opportunity to attend a US high school for a few days.

The embassy encourages those who are interested in this once in a lifetime opportunity to visit the website http://georgetown.usembassy.gov, for more information and application forms.