New York, NY: America India Foundation has announced the third season of the Youth Ambassador Program (AYAP)! In its vision to build a lasting bridge between the United States and India, AIF has proudly launched the Youth Ambassador Program (AYAP), a service-learning experience in India for U.S. high school students.
“This immersive, service-learning experience for US high school students fosters an awareness of social development in India through visits with local communities, Indian peers and schools, leading NGOs, and the private sector. Students engage with an AIF-designed service-learning curriculum and gain firsthand experience of issues of poverty and other challenges facing vulnerable communities,” a press release issued by AIF said.
AYAP has partnered with the Frugal Innovation Lab in the School of Engineering at Santa Clara University to integrate curriculum and hands-on activities that cultivate empathy alongside fundamental technology skills. Applications for the 2016 program in Bangalore, June 18-July 3, are open now!
AIF is looking for passionate high school students with an interest in building cross-cultural and global citizenship skills, and learning how to apply their learnings to improve the lives of underprivileged communities in India and beyond.
Now in its third year, AYAP seeks to foster an awareness of social development in India for participants through visits with local communities, Indian peers and schools, leading NGOs, and the private sector. Students engage with an AIF-designed service-learning curriculum and gain firsthand experience of issues of poverty and other challenges facing vulnerable communities.
Participants engage with Indian peers throughout the program to build relationships and work together to develop solutions to local problems. Students learn how to make sense of development challenges and to help advance social justice.
Program Objectives include: Facilitate an understanding of social, economic and environmental challenges facing vulnerable communities in India; Foster two-way cultural awareness among students from the U.S. and India; Expose students to the NGO and private sector roles in advancing social justice; Explore frugal innovation in education, livelihoods and environmental issues; Spark continued collaboration with AIF; and, Cultivate Youth Ambassadors individual social responsibility to the local and global community at large.
AYAP has partnered with the Frugal Innovation Lab in the School of Engineering at Santa Clara University to integrate curriculum and hands-on activities that cultivate empathy alongside fundamental technology skills.
AYAP participants return to the U.S. as global citizens, inspired to advance social change in India and beyond. AYAP creates a long-term leadership opportunity for continued collaboration with AIF, its programs and communities it serves across the country.
