Apply to become an Afterschool Alliance Youth Ambassador! Due Thu Aug 31

By ELIZABETH BANNAN Posted: Jul 25, 2023

We are thrilled to announce that we are seeking applicants for our Youth Ambassador program! Youth aged 13 and older are invited to apply by sharing their afterschool experiences by August 31, 2023.

Each school year, the Afterschool Alliance recruits 7-10 youth to serve as Youth Ambassadors to share their perspectives on afterschool programs with a national audience. Through monthly calls, Youth Ambassadors receive training on being afterschool advocates—learning how to effectively communicate about their afterschool experiences with elected officials, media, and others in leadership positions, and to use their afterschool stories to advocate for change. Youth Ambassadors lead our annual Youth Voice Week, create social media content, write blogs, and participate in events. The Youth Ambassador program culminates with an expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to participate in the Afterschool for All Challenge in the spring, where they meet with their representatives in Congress. (Note that travel and in-person meetings will only take place if it is safe to do so.)

Each Youth Ambassador receives a stipend of $1,000 after their participation in the program, which runs for 8 months, from approximately October to May.

To apply you will need:

• To be 13 years of age or older
• A desire to advocate on the behalf of students across the country for afterschool programs for all
• A parent or guardian contact email and approval to submit your application
• To respond to two prompts:
  • Describe a typical day in your afterschool program
  • Describe a meaningful experience that you have had participation in your afterschool program. This could be a lesson that you learned, a place that you went, a connection that you made with other students or a staff member, etc.

Application responses can be anything from a written essay or poem to a piece of artwork to a video or podcast—whatever media works best for you to express yourself.

Youth Ambassadors have met with members of Congress and state legislators, spoken at events with the U.S. Secretary of Education, had letters published in their local papers, and much more. To view a few examples of past Youth Ambassador activities and content created by participants please see:

• Youth Voice Week
• Lights On Afterschool 2021 Youth Town Hall
• Blogs and videos by the 2022-23 Youth Ambassadors
• Program Spotlights: Kids Rank

To be considered for Youth Ambassadorship, submit your story by 11:59 p.m. ET on August 31, 2023.

Reach out with any questions to: info@afterschoolalliance.org. We look forward to hearing your story!