About the Programs

The 2025 Young Ambassadors Program – East Asia & Pacific (YA-EAP) will bring 38 young leaders, along with 6 adult chaperones, to the United States later in May 2026 to learn about youth leadership, conflict resolution and environmental stewardship.  The program will enable participants from the Philippines and several Pacific Island nations to gather resources and learn skills to enrich their home communities.  

The group will begin the program in Vermont, where they will meet their host families.  During this portion of the program, they will learn about conflict resolution, volunteerism, and youth culture in the US, through visits to farms, universities, schools, and the Vermont State House.

Next, the group will travel to upstate New York.  There, they will attend a leadership summit led by our program partners.  The summit will include brainstorming problems and solutions, and each participant will create a Community Impact Project action plan.

Finally, the group will travel to Washington, DC to visit the Department of State and tour some of the city’s important historical landmarks.  At program's conclusion, they will return to their home countries, where they will implement their Community Impact Projects and present their results at regional conferences.

The 2026 Youth Ambassadors Africa Program (YA-AF) will bring 95 young leaders and adult chaperones from sub-Saharan Africa to the United States in July to participate in a program focused on civic engagement and leadership development. As a result of the program, participants will be prepared to positively contribute to their own communities.

The program is implemented by Vermont-based PH International and funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The participants will travel to the United States from July 8-30, 2026.

The large cohort of 95 will be divided into groups of 32. Each group will come to Vermont for a 6 day stay where they will meet with their host families. In Vermont they will learn about participatory democracy and innovation through visits with entrepreneurs, elected officials, and civic leaders.

The cohort will also visit Birmingham, Alabama where they will focus on deepening critical thinking, problem-solving, and leadership and New York City where they will work on developing their Community Impact Project plans to strengthen their own community.

The group's final stop will be Washington, DC where they will meet with the Department of State, reflect on their experience, and visit famous landmarks. Following the conclusion of their program, they will return home to implement their Community Impact Projects and share their results at a final program conference.