Americans for Indian Opportunity Ambassador

AIO’s highly acclaimed Ambassadors Program is an Indigenous values-based community capacity-building, leadership development initiative launched in 1993. The Program helps early to mid-career Native American professionals strengthen, within an Indigenous cultural context, their ability to improve the well-being and growth of their communities.

Ambassadors are usually in the age range of 25-35. They represent a cross section of the Native American population. Both urban and reservation-based individuals are selected. Program selectors attempt to build a class of diverse individuals through a selection matrix that accounts for gender, regional, tribal, social, educational and professional consideration. Ambassadors selected tend to be early to mid-career, representing an array of professions, including law enforcement, health, public administration, the arts, business, telecommunications, education and tribal governance. Each Ambassador brings to the Program a rich background and the unique values of their tribes and communities.

While participating for two years, Ambassadors remain in their communities and come together for four week-long gatherings in communities across the nation and visit at least one Indigenous community outside the United States (past gatherings have occurred in Bolivia, Guatemala, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, and Venezuela). Also, each Ambassador creates and carries out a community project, during their tenure in the Program. This community initiative hones the Ambassadors leadership skills while being of direct benefit to his/her community.

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