Student Ambassador Program

Leadership is a characteristic that everyone has. It means to be brave and be yourself, but also to help other people find themselves and help them grow. —Jordyn, Student Ambassador

The Center Theatre Group Student Ambassador Program is a free leadership development program for Los Angeles County high school students who are curious about the arts and want to build leadership and teamwork skills.

This is the ultimate experience for Los Angeles County high school students who love the arts: an entirely free, eight-month program designed to transform passionate young people into arts leaders, team players, advocates, and engagement experts. This year’s program will begin virtually and transition to an in-person program over the course of the project, pending local health regulations (see program calendar below).

No arts, theatre, or leadership experience is required to participate! We're looking for Student Ambassadors with curiosity and commitment, enthusiasm and perseverance. Participants are divided into groups with long-term projects and goals, like designing special events and social media campaigns that inspire their peers to support the arts.

In the Student Ambassador Program, we aim to create a supportive learning environment where we can be our whole selves; we encourage wellness, embrace and encourage differences, and focus on principles of antiracism, equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout the program.

Program runs October 2021 – May 2022.
Apply by 3pm, Monday, September 27th.

Participation is free! And in fact, we offer a stipend to our Ambassadors!

Program Information

Eligibility

Arts-interested high school students ages 14–18 who reside in Los Angeles County are eligible to apply. No theatre or leadership experience is required. We accept applicants from public, private, and charter schools, as well as students who are home-schooled and those who attend alternative or continuation schools. Only one student from each school will be selected to represent their campus and community.

IMPORTANT Covid-19 Health & Safety: Center Theatre Group is committed to following current State, County, and CDC guidance for reducing the spread of COVID-19. All Center Theatre Group staff are required to be fully vaccinated and all program participants are required to be fully vaccinated to participate. If the interested participant is not fully vaccinated and if you have questions regarding this health and safety policy, please contact Felipe M. Sanchez, Program Manager at fsanchez@ctgla.org.

Location and Program Access

The Group Interviews, Program Orientation, and first 5 team meetings will take place via the Zoom virtual platform; participants will need access to a Wi-Fi enabled devise such as a personal laptop or cell phone and will be required to set up a free Zoom account to participate. CTG cannot provide laptops or cell phones for program access.

For the remaining portion of the program, starting on Monday, January 10, in-person meetings will be held at the Music Center Annex located at 601 W. Temple St. in downtown Los Angeles, across the street from the Ahmanson Theatre. Center Theatre Group does not provide transportation to and from program locations, but we provide free parking or a free Metro pass to students throughout the program. Meeting space and times are subject to change during the course of the program.

IMPORTANT Covid-19 Health & Safety: In the case of changes to local Covid-19 health regulations that prohibit in-person instruction, virtual program meetings may continue throughout the duration of the program; in this case, team meeting dates will remain the same with adjusted virtual team meeting times scheduled from 4-6:30pm via Zoom. In addition, the project focus will be adjusted to a fully-digital social media project.

Program Commitment

This is an eight-month, approximately 60-hour hybrid (virtual & in-person) program. Students and parents/guardians, please check all dates below to be sure you’re able to participate, and do not apply if you cannot come to every session; missing more than one session will result in removal from the program. Consider the following conflicts before applying: after-school activity schedules in both the fall and spring semesters, festivals, family vacations, college planning trips, and mandatory scholarship or school events.

All Ambassadors are required to attend the following:

• Wed-Thurs, October 6, 7, 4:30-6:30pm – Virtual Group Interviews (you will be assigned one of these dates)
• Saturday, October 23, 11am-2pm – Virtual Orientation*
• Monday, October 25, 4-6:30pm – Virtual Team Meeting
• Mondays, November 1, 15, 29, 4-6:30pm – Virtual Team Meetings
• Saturday, December 11, 11am-2pm – Virtual Team Meeting
• Mondays, January 10 & 24, 4:30-7:30pm – In-person Team Meetings
• Mondays, February 7 & 21, 4:30-7:30pm – In-person Team Meetings
• Mondays, March 7 & 21, 4:30-7:30pm – In-person Team Meetings
• Mondays, April 4 & 18, 4:30-7:30pm – In-person Team Meetings
• Date TBD, Late-April 2022 – Hadestown project at the Ahmanson Theatre (TBD)
• Saturday, May 7, 12-6pm – In-person Culmination Celebration*

*Parents/Guardians and teachers are invited to attend the Orientation and Culmination

All Ambassadors must attend one of the following events:

• Saturday, March 19, 2022 – In-person College and Career Fair for the Arts at the Music Center Annex located at 601 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 or;
• Sunday, March 20, 2022 – Virtual College and Career Fair for the Arts or;
• A FreePlay student performance of the musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (January 2022, date TBD) or The Lehman Trilogy (March 2022, date TBD) at the Ahmanson Theatre located at 135 N. Grand Ave. in downtown Los Angeles (across from the Music Center Annex). Ambassadors will receive a complimentary ticket for themselves and a guest under 25.

Project Teams

Each Student Ambassador will work on one of these teams and will work with Center Theatre Group staff to design a student event or social media project based on the themes of the musical Hadestown. The event will take place after school and in the evening, the week of April 25th in conjunction with a live performance of Hadestown (Ambassadors will get to see Hadestown, compliments of Center Theatre Group). In your Personal Statement, you’ll need to tell us which team appeals to you the most.

Marketing & Social Media Team

Do you like to promote events? Interested in learning how to develop a social media campaign? The Marketing & Social Media Team will work with experts to design digital communication resources, marketing strategies, and activities for a theatre-related event for students. This team is great for students interested in marketing, and encouraging their peers to support the arts. Experience in marketing or social media is not required.

Community Engagement Team

Do you like the idea of designing fun and inclusive spaces for your peers? Interested in inspiring discussions related to art and socially-relevant themes in the musical Hadestown? The Community Engagement Team will work with experts to plan pre-show activities for a theatre-related event for their peers. This team is great for students interested in event planning, teaching, and creating spaces for dialogue related to socially-relevant themes. Experience in event planning is not required.

Apply Here