Young Ambassadors Program

# Young Ambassadors Program The Young Ambassadors Program (YAP) is the National Museum of the American Latino's flagship program for graduating high school seniors, designed to cultivate leaders in the arts, sciences, humanities, and civic life through the Smithsonian's collections and staff. Participants first come to Washington, DC for a week-long training seminar, then return home for a four-week paid practicum in a museum or cultural institution in their own community. ## What You'll Do - Spend a week at the Smithsonian visiting Latino collections and working with museum professionals, curators, and subject experts - Complete a four-week paid practicum at a cultural institution in one of 19 cities across the United States and Puerto Rico, many of them Smithsonian Affiliates - Apply seminar training to hands-on museum assignments in collections, education, programming, or public engagement - Join a national cohort and the program's alumni network ## Who Should Apply Graduating high school seniors who will receive a diploma in the spring and enroll in an accredited college or university in the fall. Applicants must be US citizens or legal permanent residents, meet a minimum 3.25 GPA, and be fluent in English - all programming is offered in English with no Spanish-language requirement, and the program is open to students regardless of race or ethnicity. The application includes three short statements, a resume, a video, a photo, and one letter of recommendation. ## Outcomes Participation covers meals and accommodations during the training seminar, round-trip travel to Washington, DC, and a program stipend, making it a fully funded first professional experience in the museum and cultural-heritage field.