Youth Ambassadors Program with Argentina & Chile
Summer 2014
Letter of Recommendation
for U.S. High School Student Applicants
A program sponsored and funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs, Youth Programs Division and the U.S.
Embassies in Argentina & Chile
Administered by World Learning
Instructions for the Applicant:
Give this form to a teacher and/or an adult leader and ask him or her to fill it out completely and submit it by
December 1, 2013 11:59 PM EST via email to youthprograms@worldlearning.org. Please write your full name and the
email you use to register for the application on all letter of recommendation forms. If you have your Registration ID number already,
please include this too. The subject line of the email should include the applicant’s full name and the document being
submitted.
If your reference would like to send this form directly without showing it to you, he or she can email it to
youthprograms@worldlearning.org. Please make sure your reference has the email address you are using to register
online and your Registration ID, if you have it. The subject line of the email should include the applicant’s full name
and the document being submitted.
In the blanks below, fill in your name, email address, and registration ID number (if you have it).
Applicant name:_________________________________
Applicant email:___________________________
Applicant Registration ID number (if known):__________________________
Information about the Program for Teacher/Adult Reference
Program Introduction:
The Youth Ambassadors Program with Argentina & Chile is a three week youth leadership exchange during Summer
2014 based in Argentina & Chile for eight American teenagers ages 15-17 and two adult mentors. The program aims
to develop a cadre of young adults in Argentina, Chile and the United States who have a strong sense of civic
responsibility, a commitment to community development, an awareness of current and global issues, strong
interpersonal leadership skills, willingness to foster relationships among youth from different ethnic, religious, and
national groups in Argentina, Chile and the United States, and to promote mutual understanding, respect and
collaboration between the United States and South America. Participants will be required to implement follow-on
activities upon their return home that will help the participants stay in touch with each other and reflect on their
experiences and integrate that learning into their day-to-day lives at home. An important goal of the program is that
the student leaders, now empowered, will train other student leaders through student led community oriented
service projects.
The goals of the program are to:
1)
2)
3)
4)
To promote mutual understanding between the people of the U.S., Argentina & Chile;
To prepare youth leaders to become responsible citizens and contributing members of their
communities;
To influence the attitudes of the leaders of a new generation; and
To foster relationships among youth from different ethnic, religious, and national groups and create
networks of hemispheric youth leaders, both within Argentina & Chile and internationally.
Who is eligible to apply?
Student applicants must:
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Be a U.S. citizen
be at least 15 years old and not more than 17 years old at the time of the exchange (birth
years between 1997-1999);
have a high school graduation year of 2015 or later;
attend a public high school, a public charter high school, or home-schooled;
live within the area of jurisdiction of one of the program partners: University of Virginia
(Charlottesville, VA); World Affairs Council of Dallas/Ft. Worth (Dallas/Ft. Worth);
International Visitors Council of Kansas City (Kansas City, MO): or Washington, DC (DC
applicants must attend school in the District of Columbia);
have no previous travel outside of the United States, Canada or Mexico (certain circumstances
for travel outside of North America may be accepted, including but not limited to emergency visits to
visit an ailing family member in a foreign country)
have permission from both parents or legal guardians to participate in the three-week
program, approximately to begin in mid-June 2014; and
submit a complete application, essays, including photograph, letters of recommendations,
references, parent/guardian consent form.
NOT ELIGIBLE:
 Students with dual American/Argentine or American/Chilean citizenship
 Students who attend private high school
What are the criteria for selection?
Students will be evaluated on the following characteristics:
 a demonstrated interest in and commitment to volunteer and civic activities;
 ability to work cooperatively in diverse groups and tolerate the opinions of others;
 leadership potential;
 good social and communication skills;
 good academic performance;
 an energetic, positive attitude; and
 ability to implement projects that benefit the applicant’s school and/or community.
Instructions for Teacher/Adult Reference:
Our program features a special kind of educational experience abroad. This applicant will be involved in a threeweek exchange program in Argentina & Chile with close contact with young people and adults in a challenging
environment that will require cross-cultural adjustment and an extended period of living as a member of a host
family. To succeed, the applicant must have a high degree of motivation and the ability to adjust to people of
different social and cultural backgrounds. Please be very honest in your assessment of the applicant to help us to
determine whether the applicant is ready for this kind of program. Please indicate your estimate of the following
characteristics as to how they pertain to the applicant by marking an “X” in the appropriate box. If you wish to add
comments, please do so on another sheet of paper. Your answers will remain confidential.
Name
Address
Telephone
Email Address
Job Title & Place of Employment
Signature
Excellent
Good
Average
Poor
Unknown
Consideration for and interest in others and
their views
Common sense and good judgment
Leadership potential
Ability to take direction cheerfully
Initiative
Sense of responsibility
Ability to adjust to and cope with new
situations
Intellectual curiosity and imagination
Ability to express self
Participation in community and
extracurricular activities
Ability to follow through with projects
Sense of humor
In what capacity have you known the applicant?
How long have you known the applicant? From
to
year
year
Please print your responses to the following questions in English.
What do you see as the strengths of this student?
How well will the applicant be able to adapt to living with a host family from a different culture?
How well will the applicant be able to work with others in the travel group to resolve problems?
Please comment on the applicant’s overall suitability for the program, including leadership and interpersonal skills.
Signature
Please submit this reference form to the applicant OR email it directly to youthprograms@worldlearning.org. If
submitting directly, in the subject line please include the applicant’s first and last name and the document (i.e. letter
of reference) that you are sending.
Thank you!