Ages 14–21 · Pike County
Young people already know what their community needs. We hand them the microphone.
The Ambassadors/Youth Ambassadors Program trains teenagers and young adults in advocacy, public speaking, and mental health literacy — then backs a project they design and run themselves.
What it is
Not a youth group. A training program with real work at the end.
Most programs for teenagers are designed to keep them busy. This one is designed to make them dangerous in the good way — able to name a problem, find out who controls it, and say something in public that changes it.
Ambassadors meet in a cohort, work through four units with a licensed clinical social worker and adult mentors, and finish by delivering a project they own completely. We do not assign the project. We do not rewrite it. We fund the materials and show up when they need an adult in the room.
It is free to participate. Transportation help is available — say so on the form and it will not be a problem.
Who
Ages 14–21, living in or attending school in Pike County
Cost
Free. Materials included
Commitment
One cohort cycle — roughly 2 hours a week plus project time
Where
Pike County, Alabama
Next cohort
Enrolling now — apply and we will contact you with dates
The curriculum
Four units, then you run something.
01
Know your own story
Before you speak for anyone, you get clear on what you have actually lived and what you want to do with it. Boundaries first: what you share is always your choice.
02
Mental health literacy
Real language for what you and your friends are feeling. How to recognize crisis, what to do about it, and where the adults and the hotlines actually are.
03
Advocacy & public speaking
How decisions get made in a county like Pike, who makes them, and how to be in the room. Practice speaking to a council, a school board, and a camera.
04
Your project
Every ambassador designs and runs one real project in their own community — a campaign, an event, a resource, a policy ask. We fund materials and get out of the way.
You do not have to hand us your child's story. They decide what they share, every single time, and we tell them that on day one.
For parents and guardians
This program is led by a licensed clinical social worker, and every adult mentor clears a background check. Sessions are group-based and not therapy — if an ambassador needs clinical support, we will tell you and help arrange it separately.
We ask written permission before any photograph or quote of a minor is published anywhere, including social media.
Apply
Apply for yourself, or nominate someone who should be in the room.
No essays, no GPA, no recommendation letters. Tell us who you are and what you would change about this town.
· Anyone 14–21 can apply directly — you do not need an adult to do it for you.
· Parents, teachers, and counselors can nominate a young person here too.
· We contact everyone who applies, either way.