Youth Ambassadors South and Central Asia Program
Leadership. Innovation. Community Impact.
The Youth Ambassadors South and Central Asia (YA-SCA) Program, implemented by the Foundation for International Understanding Through Students (FIUTS), will bring together young people and adult mentors from participating South and Central Asian countries and the United States for a 21-night international exchange in spring 2027.
Supported by the U.S. Department of State, this immersive experience will explore leadership, American innovation, applied technology, and community-based project design.
Participants will learn from American innovators, engage with organizations addressing real-world challenges, build relationships across cultures, and work in mixed-country teams to develop ideas for positive community impact.
Explore two program themes
Theme 1: Leadership and American Innovation
What makes a leader effective in a rapidly changing world? How can innovation help address complex challenges?
Through interactive leadership workshops, hands-on learning, site visits, and conversations with American innovators, participants will explore leadership styles, values, creative problem-solving, and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI).
They will discover how companies, institutions, entrepreneurs, and community leaders apply innovative approaches to real-world problems — and consider how these lessons can inform their own leadership and future work.
Theme 2: Community Impact and Project Design
How can young people turn an idea into meaningful community action?
Participants will explore how communities work, identify community assets, and learn how partnerships between people and organizations can help address local challenges.
Working collaboratively across countries, they will develop community-based project proposals that reflect their learning and the strengths of their communities.
The experience will culminate in an Innovation Pitch Showcase, where teams present their ideas to local leaders and technologists for feedback, followed by a community poster session to share their projects and learning.
What will the experience include?
The exchange will begin with three nights in Chicago, where participants will build connections, take part in team-building activities, and prepare for the program ahead.
The group will then travel to Seattle for the core learning experience. Participants will take part in interactive workshops, technical learning opportunities, site visits, community experiences, and a Seattle homestay that offers opportunities for intercultural learning and connection.
Planned experiences in the Seattle area include visits and activities connected with Microsoft, the Amazon Spheres, the Space Needle, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the University of Washington, and other organizations and community partners. Activities will be confirmed closer to the program dates.
The exchange will conclude with four nights in Washington, D.C.
Throughout the program, participants will also take part in regular Morning Meetings: opportunities to reflect on their experiences, exchange perspectives, engage in group challenges, and help lead discussions and activities with support from program staff.
Who should apply?
We are looking for young people who are curious about the world, interested in their communities, and eager to learn alongside peers from different backgrounds.
You may be a good fit if you:
Enjoy exploring ideas and asking questions about how things can be improved.
Have taken initiative at school, in your family, among your peers, or in your community.
Are interested in leadership, technology, innovation, or community problem-solving.
Are willing to listen to different perspectives, work collaboratively, and learn from new experiences.
Want to share what you learn with others after returning home.
You do not need to be an experienced programmer, have a formal leadership title, or already have a complete community project idea. We are interested in your potential, your perspective, and your willingness to contribute and learn.
Program details
Program dates: Spring 2027; exact dates to be announced
Duration: 21 nights
Locations: Chicago, Illinois; Seattle, Washington; and Washington, D.C.
Participating countries: to be confirmed
Youth eligibility: to be confirmed
Language requirements: fluent English
Application deadline: to be confirmed
Program costs and travel arrangements: fully funded through the US Department of State Bureau of Cultural and Educational Affairs
How to apply
Recruitment and selection will be coordinated with participating U.S. embassies and the YA-USA program partner, in accordance with the program's approved recruitment process.