If you are a high school student in the Pittsburgh area who is interested in diplomacy, cultural awareness, global affairs, government relations or community service, we encourage you to apply for the Luminari Award today. Our merit-based award is open to all students in 7th – 11th grades who want to hone their writing skills while competing for a scholarship (valued at over $1,200) to our annual diplomacy program.
Winners of the competition are named Luminari Award Scholars and are invited to attend the I Want to be an Ambassador! camp this summer (in Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. June 11 – June 19).
I Want to be an Ambassador! camp is a unique and dynamic seven-day experience focusing on the vital art and skills of diplomacy. Through interactive and hands-on activities, field trips, dialogues with diplomats and business leaders, and simulations of international crises, you will learn the life skills crucial for successful interactions at school, at home, and in your community, along with forming bonds with new friends. Camp includes a trip to Washington, D.C.—the very heart of where diplomacy happens. Past camps have taken students to the State Department, foreign embassies, including last year’s meeting with the Ukraine Ambassador, and to museums, and monuments. Delicious ethnic food is always part of the experience which we refer to as gastrodiplomacy.
All students may enter the award on their own by submitting their applications and essays directly to us in an easy 1-2-3 process:
- Write a one-page essay describing your interest in diplomacy and the ways in which you will benefit from the I Want to be an Ambassador! Camp in your daily life. [DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION]
- Sign the application and have your parent or legal guardian sign it as well.
- Scan and return the completed essay and application to luminari@luminari.org or mail to: Luminari, P.O. Box 81603, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15217 no later than February 15, 2024.
The winner will be announced in early March.
Good luck! We look forward to reading your essays, and we look forward to welcoming our Luminari Award Scholar to our exciting camp in June!
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For further information about the program or the awards competition, please e-mail luminari@luminari.org or visit this link on our webpage: I Want to be an Ambassador!
