Gain professional experience, network with Latino leaders, hone your leadership skills, and get involved in your community this summer with a paid internship. Apply to the Young Ambassadors Program!
Who? Graduating high school seniors with a commitment to the arts, sciences, or humanities as it pertains to Latino communities
What? Week-long, all-expenses paid training and leadership seminar and a four-week internship with a $2,000 program stipend
Where? Denver, Colorado and internships in 19 cities across the U.S. and Puerto Rico
When? June 21-July 31, 2015
Why? Opportunity to explore various career paths, embrace your own cultural heritage, and gain practical and leadership skills and intellectual growth
Application deadline: April 6, 2015
For more information, to view the promotional video, and to apply visit: http://latino.si.edu/Education/YAP
For questions: Email SLCEducation@si.edu
The Smithsonian Latino Center gratefully acknowledges major and continued program support from Ford Motor Company Fund.
About the Program
The Young Ambassadors Program (YAP) is a national program for graduating high school seniors aimed at fostering the next generation of Latino leaders in the arts, sciences, and humanities via the Smithsonian Institution and its resources. YAP is a college preparatory and leadership program encouraging participants to explore various academic and career opportunities through the lens of the Latino experience.
Students with an interest in and commitment to the arts, sciences, and humanities as it pertains to Latino communities and cultures are selected to travel to Washington, D.C. for a week-long seminar at the Smithsonian. This enrichment opportunity is a leadership development and skill-building training that exposes youth to a wide array of academic disciplines promoting higher education and encouraging the exploration and understanding of the Latino identity. The seminar, known as Washington Week, includes visits to the Smithsonian’s Latino collections and one-on-one interaction with renowned experts from various fields as well as museum professionals. Following the training seminar, students participate in a four-week interdisciplinary internship in museums and other cultural institutions in 19 cities across the United States and Puerto Rico, including Smithsonian-affiliated organizations. This hands-on component allows students to gain transferable knowledge and apply the skills acquired during the training seminar to their internship assignments.
2015 Internship Regions
Denver, Colorado
History Colorado
Phoenix, Arizona
Arizona Science Center
Musical Instrument Museum
Los Angeles/Long Beach, California
California Science Center
Museum of Latin American Art
Oakland (Bay Area), California
Chabot Space and Science Center
Washington, D.C.
National Portrait Gallery
Miami, Florida
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County
HistoryMiami
Chicago, Illinois
Adler Planetarium
National Museum of Mexican Art
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Explora
New York, New York
National Museum of the American Indian-New York
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Museum of Art
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico
Austin, Texas
The Thinkery
Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
Houston, Texas
Children’s Museum of Houston
Talento Bilingüe de Houston
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio Museum of Art
Seattle, Washington
The Museum of Flight
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta History Center
McAllen, Texas
The San Antonio Museum of Art
Expenses and Program Stipend
Participation in the Young Ambassadors Program includes meals and accommodations for the duration of the one-week training seminar, round-trip travel costs to Washington, D.C. and a program stipend. Students selected are responsible for all expenses during the four-week internship, including transportation, accommodations, and meals. Upon completion of the five-week program, participants will receive $2,000 to contribute to their higher education. Students that do not complete the training seminar and four-week internship will not receive the program stipend.
Eligibility
Admission is competitive. To be eligible for the program, you must:
Be a high school senior graduating in 2015
Be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States with a valid Social Security Number at the time of application
Have a minimum weighted cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 on a 4.0 scale.
Be fluent in English
Be enrolled full-time in a degree-seeking program at an accredited college or university (enrollment will be verified for the fall 2015)
Commit to participate in the one-week training seminar at the Smithsonian Institution and complete a four-week paid summer internship
Evaluation Criteria
Up to 24 participants are selected through a competitive process, guided by a selection committee comprised of museum and education professionals. The selection committee evaluates all application materials and submissions based on the following criteria:
Excellence in the:
Arts (e.g., film, visual, performing, design);
Sciences (e.g., natural, biological, chemical, planetary); or
Humanities (e.g., language, literature, social sciences, business).
Academic record
Leadership experience
Commitment to education
Service learning and engagement with the Latino community
For more information and to apply, please visit the Smithsonian Latino Center online at http://latino.si.edu/programs/youngambassadors.htm or email SLCEducation@si.edu.