Global Youth Ambassadors Leadership Program

The Global Youth Ambassadors Leadership Program logo: 3 grey arches with a red Chicago star in the middle, and the name of the program printed below in blue and red.

A joint program of Chicago Sister Cities International (CSCI) and the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), the Global Youth Ambassadors Leadership Program is an intensive leadership program in Chicago designed to build the next generation of global leaders. It is open to teenage girls, ages 14–16, from Chicago and its 29 international sister cities.

The Program consists of three parts:

  • Annual Global Youth Ambassadors Leadership Summit
  • Program Satellite Workshops
  • Mentorship and Alumni Engagement

Since its inception in 2016, more than 500 girls have participated in the overall Global Youth Ambassadors Leadership Program, with over 200 of them participating in the Chicago Summit.

The Global Youth Ambassadors Leadership Program aims to:

  • Empower emerging leaders
  • Teach strategies for leadership, advocacy and activism
  • Inspire young women to become agents of change
  • Build a network of globally minded leaders

As of January 2025, the Summit is on indefinite hiatus. We thank our Ambassador alumni and Chicago and international communities for your support of this amazing program.

2021 Summit: July 10-17, 2021

A Zoom screen grid of participants of the 2021 Global Youth Ambassadors Leadership Summit

Though still virtual, our Summer 2021 Global Youth Ambassadors Leadership Summit was a huge success, with nearly 50 girls–our largest cohort yet–participating from all over the world!

Check out our Instagram for 2021 highlights!

A large group of girls and their mentors, from around the world and Chicago, pose together at a mentorship luncheon.

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2018 Global Youth Ambassadors Leadership Summit