U.S.

Youth Ambassadors
Program with Argentina & Chile
U.S. High School Student Application
Instructions and Essay Questions
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
December 1, 2013 11:59 PM EST
High School applicants should become familiar with the
online application instructions attached below, write down
their answers to the essay questions, and then input the
information into the online application at
http://www.regonline.com/AC2014

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.

Program Sponsors and Partners:

U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Youth Programs
Division
U.S. Embassy in Argentina
U.S. Embassy in Chile
World Learning
University of Virginia - Center for Politics, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Ft. Worth,
and International Visitors Council of Kansas City

Program Goals:
1) To promote mutual understanding between the people of the U.S., Argentina & Chile;
2) To prepare youth leaders to become responsible citizens and contributing members of
their
communities;
3) To influence the attitudes of the leaders of a new generation; and
4) 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.
Program Design:
The Argentina & Chile program will begin with a two-day orientation workshop in Washington,
DC before the group departs for Chile, where they will have an introduction and participate in
meetings with U.S. Embassy staff. Following the orientation in Chile, the group will split into
community program teams for homestays and programming activities organized and
implemented by alumni of the Argentina & Chile Youth Ambassadors Program. The American
students will then reunite for a re-entry and follow-on program segment in Argentina, which will
include action planning and evaluation sessions. More details will be available upon final
selection of participants.

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What is covered?
There is no application fee for applicants.
The U.S. Government will pay for international transportation to and from the United States,
domestic travel to Pre-Departure Orientation in Washington, DC, orientations, program and
visa fees and administration, site visits and seminars, lodging and meals, some cultural activities,
educational materials, accident and sickness insurance while in Argentina & Chile, and a modest
amount of pocket money. Participants will stay with volunteer host families and in youth
conference centers.
Participants are responsible for expenses related to the application process (copying, mailing,
photographs, etc.), passport fees, vaccination fees (if applicable) and spending money for
souvenirs and other items.

Who is eligible to apply?

Student applicants must:

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

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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 applicants school and/or community.

Selection Process

Applications will be reviewed by the respective U.S. partner organization in the

applicant's community
Semi-finalists will be contacted by the respective U.S. partner organization in his/her
community for interview.
Finalists from each U.S. community will have a final interview (phone, skype, or in
person) with World Learning and U.S. Dept. of State representatives
Due to large quantity of applications received, it is not possible to inform all applicants of
their status
Additional questions should be emailed to youthprograms@worldlearning.org

Required Documents to be submitted with a completed Application

A photo of yourself. (Your face must be visible and clear)

Two Letters of Recommendation - Neither should be an adult who is related to you (attached or
emailed to youthprograms@worldlearning.org by December 1, 2013 11:59 PM EST)
Signed Parent/Guardian Information. (Attached to your application or emailed to
youthprograms@worldlearning.org by December 1, 2013 11:59 PM EST)

Note: Any documents sent to youthprograms@worldlearning.org must reference the applicant's Full
Name and document type in the subject line of the email. For example, "Carolina Silva, Signed
Parent/Guardian Information"

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APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

(IMPORTANT)
The Youth Ambassadors Program with Argentina & Chile U.S. high school student application
is an online application. You can access the application at www.regonline.com/AC2014. Please
follow instructions carefully.
**It is important to know that you cannot save data in your application until you have completed
all the fields. We recommend looking at the application to become familiar with it, preparing
your answers to the essays (the essay questions are included on this form), and then entering all
the information at once. Once you have done this and submitted your application, you can
return to it using the password you create to make edits, change your answers, or upload
required documents.**

Two Hour Time Limit: Prepare Ahead!

When you log in, you will have TWO HOURS to submit the application before it times out. It is
important to know that you will not be able to save data in your application unless you enter all
required fields and submit it within those two hours.

Prepare Ahead: We suggest that you look over the application, prepare your essay answers ahead
of time, and then complete all the fields when you are ready.

Work Offline: You may write the application or essays in Microsoft Word (or any other
program), and then paste your answers into the application. Please pay attention to the word
limits on the essay questions.

At the end of the application, applicants will be required to certify that the application was written
using only their OWN words.

To Look at or Begin Your Application

To begin, click Register on the website. You must have a valid email address to start the
application.

The online application contains several sections:

PART I: PERSONAL AND CONTACT INFORMATION

This section is where you will input general information like your name, city, school name, and
telephone number. You will also upload your photo to this section.
PASSWORD: In Part 1, you will also create your own password to access your application after
you have submitted it. WRITE DOWN YOUR PASSWORD. You will need it if you want to

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make changes or upload documents to your application before the December 1, 2013 deadline.
There is a link to change your password if you forget it. REMEMBER, YOUR PASSWORD
ONLY TAKES EFFECT WHEN YOU HAVE SUBMITTED YOUR APPLICATION.

PART II: PARENT/GUARDIAN INFORMATION

This section is where you will input contact information regarding your parent(s) or legal
guardian(s). There is also a form at the end of the document, the PARENT/GUARDIAN
CONSENT FORM. You will need to print this form, have your parents sign it, scan it, and then
email it to youthprograms@worldlearning.org.

PART III: INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL HISTORY

This section is where you will input information regarding your international travel history.
Please note that prior history of travel outside the United States may disqualify you as an
applicant. However, certain circumstances for travel outside of the United States may be
accepted, on a case by case basis, so please explain this in the space provided on the application.

PART IV: STUDENT LANGUAGE ABILITIES

This section is where you will input information regarding the languages you speak/study, if any.

PART V: STUDENT ACTIVITIES

This section is where you will input information about your extracurricular, volunteer, and/or
social activities you are involved.

PART VI: SHORT ESSAYS

This section is where you will input your answer to the short essays. We recommend answering
the questions first when you are offline. Then, when you are ready to submit your application,
you can either cut-and-paste or type your answers to the questions into the online application.

PART VII: LONG ESSAYS

This section is where you will input your answer to the long essays. We recommend answering
the questions first when you are offline. Then, when you are ready to submit your application,
you can either cut-and-paste or type your answers to the questions into the online application.

PART VIII: REFERENCES

This section is where you will input information for five (5) adult references who are not related
to you. These references may be teachers, mentors, advisors and may include the two adults who

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provide letters of reference. One or more references may be contacted during the application
process to provide an account of their knowledge of you.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
There are two LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION FORMS attached to this
document. You will need to print them out and give them to a professor or another adult
who is not related to you to fill out. The two completed forms need to be emailed to
youthprograms@worldlearning.org.
SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

Once you have answered all the questions, click the CONTINUE button at the bottom
of the application. If you click the button and are not able to move to the REVIEW &
SUBMIT page, it is because there are incomplete fields on your application. Look for
the
sign, which will show you where you are missing information.
At the next screen, click the FINISH button. You will get a confirmation email sent to
you. REMEMBER, you can use your password to access your application and make
changes or upload documents until the deadline of December 1, 2013 at 11:59PM EST
(Eastern Standard Time).
APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE REVIEWED UNTIL AFTER THE DEADLINE.
Please feel free to make changes, edits or upload documents to your submitted
application using your email address and password until December 1, 2013. ALL
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (PHOTO, LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION, and
PARENT/GUARDIAN PERMISSION FORM) must be uploaded to your application
or it will not be reviewed!
REGISTRATION IDENTIFICATION (ID) NUMBER: Once you submit your
application, you will get an 8-digit Registration ID number. This is different from your
school or National ID number. Please keep this as reference.

How to Edit to your application

If you have submitted your application:

Click Already Registered? Then, log in using the email address and password that you entered
when you first submitted your application. All your data will be saved, and you can change it if
you want.

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If you have not submitted your application (but have logged in before):

You cannot save some data and then return to it later if you do not submit your full
application (except for the documents you need to upload by the deadline). This is why
you should prepare your information and your answers to questions before you begin
filling the application out.
You can log into the application again using the same email. If you have not yet
submitted your application, you will not be asked for a password. You should not use
multiple email addresses to submit multiple applications. Doing so may result in your
disqualification and therefore from being considered for the program.

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CHECKLIST OF DOCUMENTS YOU WILL NEED TO UPLOAD OR EMAIL BEFORE

DECEMBER 1, 2013 11:59 PM EST:

Two Letters of Recommendation from teachers or an adult who is not related to you
(emailed by yourself or the recommender directly to youthprograms@worldlearning.org by
December 1, 2013)

Passport-size photo of yourself (Your face must be visible and clear)

Signed Parent/Guardian Information (Emailed by December 1, 2013)

NOTE: Any documents sent to youthprograms@worldlearning.org

must reference the applicant's Full Name and document type in the subject line of
the email. For example, "Carolina Silva, Signed Parent/Guardian Information"
COMPLETE APPLICATION CHECKLIST
Your online application should include everything below by December 1, 2013:
Student Background and Contact information
Photograph
Student Additional Information (languages, activities, international travel)
5 Short Essays
3 Long Essays
Parent/Guardian Information
Parent/Guardian Consent Form
2 letters of recommendation
5 References

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Frequently Asked Questions

Regarding the U.S. High School Student Application, Eligibility, and Selection:
1. Who should I contact if I have any questions about the application or program?

Please send all questions to youthprograms@worldlearning.org.

2. Can siblings apply to the Youth Ambassadors Program?

Yes, siblings can apply to the Youth Ambassadors Program if they meet all eligibility requirements.
3. Will I receive confirmation that my application has been received?

Yes. You will receive a computer-generated email for the online application only.
4. Will I receive notice whether or not I have been accepted to the program?

Due to the high-level of applications we receive, we may not be able to contact all those that have applied.
If you have not received an invitation for an interview, you can assume that you were not selected.
5. What if I am not accepted to the Youth Ambassadors Program this year; can I apply again next year?

Yes, provided you meet the age and other eligibility criteria again next year.
6. What if my recommenders what to submit their letter directly without me seeing them?

If your recommenders want to send their letters of recommendation about you directly instead of giving
them to you to email, please tell them to scan the letters and email them to
youthprograms@worldlearning.org. They can then upload your letters directly without you being able to
see them. Make sure that the email address you use to register for the application is on the letters you give
to your recommenders. If you already have you Registration ID number, make sure they have this too.

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ESSAY QUESTIONS
There are 5 short essays and 4 long essays on the online application. The essay questions are included
below. You should answer these before you fill out your application. You can then cut and paste your
answers into your application when you are ready to submit it.
SHORT ESSAYS
Please write your answers in clear English and in your own words. Plagiarism will result in the removal of
your application from consideration. Your answers should not exceed 250 words each.
1. Why do you want to participate in the exchange program, and what will you contribute if you are
chosen?
2. What skills are you hoping to develop from this program that will help you in the future?
3. You will be required to do a community service project in a small group or individually when you
return to the U.S. Do you have an idea for a possible project that would impact your community?
4. In which ways can youth be involved in your community? Do you think youth can be leaders? Why or
why not?
5. What three leadership skills do you think are most important and why?

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LONG ESSAYS
Please respond to ALL four essay questions below in clear English (or Spanish as directed) and in your
own words. Plagiarism will result in the removal of your application from consideration. Some questions
have multiple parts, so make sure to answer each part of the question. Your answers should not exceed
500 words each.

1.

What makes you a good leader? Using two examples, describe how you are an effective
leader in your school, community, or home.

2.

Describe an ethical or cross-cultural conflict you have experience and describe how you
resolved this situation?

3.

Tell us about an issue that exists in your hometown and what young people can do to help resolve it?
What are some of your ideas to solve the problem? **Please answer this question in Spanish**

4.

Write a letter introducing yourself to your host family. Tell them about your hobbies, likes and dislikes,
what your family in the United States is like, etc. **Please write your letter in Spanish**

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