DEADLINE: Friday, October 11, 2019
Prospective Youth Ambassadors who are juniors or seniors in a New York City public high school are invited to apply for Project Bridge, an intercultural youth leadership and intercultural awareness program that advances the ability of its participants to understand and respect other cultures. The goal of the Program is to “bridge” the gap among cultures through cultural awareness and leadership training. It aims to cultivate future community leaders and introduce them to U.S.-Korea relations, with an emphasis on cultural and racial sensitivity and a firm understanding of Korea.
In conjunction with the Los Angeles-based Pacific Century Institute, the Korea Society coordinates this academic year-long program for public high school students. Originally created in response to the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the Program selects a total of 16 student Youth Ambassadors and two educator group leaders from New York City and Los Angeles.
The Program offers many exciting opportunities for its Youth Ambassadors to build leadership skills and intercultural competence, improve their public speaking ability and grow their personal and professional networks. Students engage in bi-monthly educational workshops on topics such as Korean history, language, modern society, and U.S.-Korea relations, as well race relations in the U.S., which are led by topic experts. A key element of the Program is a collaborative research project with their Los Angeles counterparts. Notably, the capstone event is an all-expenses paid ten-day study tour to the Republic of Korea. In the past, Youth Ambassadors have visited Korean high schools, universities, government ministries, businesses, museums and have experienced a home stay with a Korean high school student as well as an overnight Buddhist temple stay. Following the tour, students conduct a community presentation, sharing insights gained. Throughout the program, students meet with diplomats, government officials and business leaders.
Now in its 27th year, Project Bridge is expanding its outreach to a new demographic of primarily rural and tribal youth. The Mansfield Center at the University of Montana in Missoula has joined as the newest Project Bridge partner. Founded in 1983, its mission is to promote U.S. relations with Asia and ethics in public affairs. It is named for Mike Mansfield, a former U.S. senator and Ambassador to Japan, who left an enduring mark on U.S. international diplomacy. The Center has strong youth international exchange programs with Japan, China, Thailand, and Cambodia. This will be their first youth exchange with Korea; students and staff will be fully integrated into the program.
We encourage eligible New York public high school student to apply for this unique program!
Missoula, Montana area applicants, please visit this link for application forms.
Los Angeles applicants, please visit this link for application forms.
Applications must be postmarked by Friday, October 11, 2019 and mailed to:
Linda Tobash
The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue 24th FL
New York, NY 10017
Program Schedule:
DEADLINE: October 11, 2019 | Application Postmark Deadline
November 2019 | Announcement of Finalists
April 2020 | Study tour
For more information, please contact Linda Tobash or call 212-759-7525 ext. 311 .
