Intercultural Ambassadors
This annual scholarship program, a collaborative effort of the SDSU International Student Center and the International Studies Education Project of San Diego (ISTEP), is a combined student leadership development/community outreach initiative designed to promote greater intercultural awareness and international goodwill in the San Diego public schools.
Each Spring semester, 10 SDSU international students are selected and trained to serve as intercultural resources in participating elementary schools. Ambassadors receive a $300 cash scholarship in exchange for visiting classrooms and helping children gain a deeper understanding of intercultural issues and relations. In the past 20 years, 300 international students from 85 countries have visited 500 classrooms and personally enriched the lives of more than 120 teachers and 20,000 San Diego children.
Would you like to be an Intercultural Ambassador ?
Have you ever wanted to share some experiences and insights with Americans about your country and culture? Do you enjoy working with children? If your answers are yes, then the Intercultural Ambassador Program may be an excellent opportunity for you. This program offers SDSU international undergraduates the chance to develop unique skills in promoting intercultural understanding in San Diego's public schools.
Who is Eligible ?
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
1. Be a fulltime undergraduate student during Spring Semester 2008, and
2. Hold a valid non-immigrant visa (F-1), and
3. Have an overall G.P.A. of 2.5 or higher, and
4. Be able to demonstrate financial need.
What will participants be expected to do ?
1. During Fall '07 and Spring '08 participants will receive 7 hours of training in public speaking, intercultural communications, and leadership development.
2. During Spring '08 participants will prepare and make 6 presentations to public school classes on topics related to their respective countries and cultures.
3. After training, the time commitment during Spring semester will be approximately 13 hours. This amount includes the time necessary to prepare and give 6 presentations.
4. Financial compensation for the 20 total hours devoted to training, to preparing and giving 6 presentations is in the form of a cash scholarship of $300.
How will participants be selected ?
Applicants who meet the eligibility requirements listed above will be selected on the basis of the following criteria:
1. Ability to communicate effectively to groups, especially children;
2. Previous experience with the intercultural programs and activities;
3. Ability to view international events and issues from a global perspective;
4. Ability to gather information about one's country and culture.
Click here to see who the past ambassadors were.