Youth Diplomats Institute
Global Ties KC is proud to announce that it has received a Missouri Humanities Grant to support the Youth Diplomats Institute for the 2024-2025 academic year. This 9-month program focuses on high school students from the Heartland of America, offering them opportunities for exposure to international visitors, professional skill development, and a deeper understanding of citizen diplomacy.
Created in 2019, the Youth Diplomats Institute is dedicated to exposing local students to different cultures, fostering a global mindset that values diversity, and introducing students to the international connections that exist within their own communities. Selected participants meet once a month to enhance their intercultural communication skills, explore college and career options, network with local leaders, and engage in workshops and service alongside international visitors.
From a competitive pool of 80 applicants, 60 students were chosen to participate in this year’s program, which equips young people with the essential skills to thrive in our increasingly interconnected world. For the 2024-2025 program, we are proud to announce that the Youth Diplomats Institute has expanded to include two cohorts with a traditional in-person cohort based in Kansas City, and a virtual cohort that extends the program’s reach to rural communities across the state.
Throughout the year, Youth Diplomats meet with international diplomats, foreign visitors, and Kansas City business leaders to learn about the global community and explore Kansas City’s unique role on the world stage. Participants also design and present a community action project, applying their lessons learned in a real-world context. Beyond academics, the Institute offers networking opportunities and career exploration tools, helping students build professional connections and discover potential career paths in global affairs while still in high school.
Additionally, this funding will help support an end-of-year trip to Washington, D.C., where students will have the opportunity to connect the lessons they’ve learned in the program to the history of our country’s democracy. This trip offers a firsthand experience of the U.S. government and provides an invaluable perspective on the global role of American diplomacy.
Three months into the program, both cohorts are successfully engaging with the curriculum. After a session on careers in foreign affairs and a diplomacy simulation with French high school students, the group is energized and ready to continue their journey in global leadership.
We believe that every student in Missouri has the right- even the responsibility- to be able to serve as a citizen diplomat, representing our great state to the world. Thank you again to Missouri Humanities for your support of this vital program. For more information about Global Ties KC and the Youth Diplomats Institute, click here.
