Centering Youth Voices: Student Ambassador Fellowship Case Study

Young people are frequently underestimated by the education system, policy makers, and society at large. Their opinions are often ignored and sidelined. In 2019, Here to Here (H2H) started the Student Ambassador Fellowship program, a paid opportunity for students attending 15 high schools in the Bronx, New York to be leaders in sharing and disseminating work-based learning opportunities to their peers. Through their paid position as ambassadors, which is a role that is akin to assistant work-based learning coordinators, students have been able to strengthen their professional skills while supporting the H2H goal of making work-based learning more equitable and accessible. The success of the Student Ambassador Fellowship program comes from the participatory design of the fellowship and its focus on giving students the opportunity to learn while they earn.