Afterschool Alliance Youth Ambassador Program
Each year, the Afterschool Alliance recruits a cohort of youth from across the country to serve as Youth Ambassadors. The cohort is trained as afterschool advocates—learning how to effectively communicate about their afterschool experiences with elected officials, media, and others in leadership positions, and how to use their afterschool stories to advocate for change.
Ambassadors write blog posts published on the Afterschool Snack. As part of their ambassadorship, each cohort goes to Washington, D.C. on an expenses-paid trip to participate in the Afterschool for All Challenge, where they meet with their congressional representatives and offer remarks at the Afterschool for All Showcase on Capitol Hill.
Furthermore, young advocates take center stage during Youth Voice Week, an annual celebration of young people raising their voices in support of the programs that matter to them. This week of advocacy allows us to hear directly from young people in afterschool programs about their passions and experiences, through blogs, social media content, and live events like Youth Town Halls. We are proud of the youth that have represented Oklahoma as part of this program.
Youth Voice Week
2024
March 25th-29th
Afterschool Youth Ambassadors and other young advocates take center stage during Youth Voice Week, an annual celebration of young people raising their voices in support of the programs that matter to them. Themes and content of the week are determined by youth ambassadors.
Join us and help elevate youth voices. It is vital to listen to youth, and learn from their experiences, perspectives, and ideas. We’re amplifying young people’s voices as they share the issues that are most important to them.
You can participate in three ways:
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Share your organization’s youth voice/youth spokesperson messages on social media using the tags #YouthVoiceWeek and #afterschoolworks. Feel free to use existing materials! Our social media kit has samples for you to adapt.
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Join us at 2pm CT on March 28 for our Youth Voice Town Hall, created and run by afterschool youth! Watch the event on our YouTube livestream, and save the date on your calendar.
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Contact Congress on March 29, and encourage your constituents urging elected officials to support the afterschool and summer programs our young people count on. It takes just a minute to Contact Congress.
Million Girls Moonshot
Flight Crew
The Flight Crew features remarkable youth from across the country. Motivated by their impactful STEM experiences beyond the classroom, these young leaders are currently working in their communities to break down stereotypes and spark their peers' curiosity in STEM.
This talented cadre of youth embodies the Moonshot mission and they are committed to using afterschool and STEM learning to build a better future where young girls everywhere can envision a place for them in STEM. The Flight Crew will amplify youth voices in the national conversation around STEM equity as we work toward a future where every young girl can imagine themselves as a future engineer, builder or inventor. We are proud of the young leaders who have represented Oklahoma as part of this program.
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Join us in San Diego - June 24-26, 2024 - for Girls Build Solutions™ a celebration and demonstration of how hands-on learning and the power of women and girls can unlock the creativity and innovation our world needs most. This high-energy national event will bring together girls and leaders from all 50 states to change the narrative and elevate the potential of girls in STEM.
Girls Build Solutions is the showcase event of STEM Next’s Million Girls Moonshot, an initiative to engage millions more girls in STEM through afterschool and summer programs. Moonshot is re-imagining who can engineer, who can build, who can make. Learn more and join us at milliongirlsmoonshot.org