Sister Cities International has been selected by the U.S. Department of State for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - to recruit young Americans (ages 19-27) to work at the USA Pavilion at the 2025 Osaka World Expo in Japan next year for three or six months.
The Department of State Youth Ambassador, or Student Ambassador, program is a long-standing U.S Government exchange program which began in the 1950’s. For decades, young Americans have served as docents or guides for USA Pavilions at International Expositions or World’s Fairs. The opportunity to engage with millions of visitors of all ages and backgrounds throughout the six-month Expo is a once in a lifetime experience. Serving as the “Faces of America” is an important role at a World’s Fair as many of the visitors may have never met face-to-face with an American before.
Youth Ambassadors have embarked on internships and careers in foreign policy with various U.S. Government agencies, including the State Department, USAID, the Department of Agriculture and others, as well as careers in international business, event management, and entrepreneurship. Youth Ambassadors are considered U.S. government exchange alumni and become part of a 1 million+ community of exchange alumni with opportunities for continued grants and other programs.
All travel, accommodations, and insurance are fully covered, and participants will receive a monthly stipend. Japanese language ability is preferred, but not required. The application deadline is TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2024 at 11:59pm ET.
Please see below additional information and how to apply:
Application Requirements:
Young adults ages 19-27, who want to represent the U.S.;
Ideally multilingual in English and one of the following languages: Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, or Portuguese;
Contact information of two (2) references;
A current resume or CV;
An official or unofficial transcript of your current or most recently completed degree;
Any supporting documents to support language abilities; and
A "one-way interview" video submission of yourself (max. 3 minutes)
Youth Ambassadors will be divided into three cohorts:
Full-Term of the Expo: March 26, 2025 – October 15, 2025*
Spring 2025: March 26, 2025 – July 23, 2025*
Fall 2025: July 12, 2025 – October 15, 2025*
*All YAs will meet for a multi-day, in-person orientation March 22 – 26, 2025 in Fort Worth, Texas.