The Changed by Youth Ambassador Program (CBY) connects young people across Durham and supports them in cultivating leadership skills and personal identity. CBY builds off the City of Durham's long legacy of having an established cohort of young people who have a formal role in the City's planning and decision-making processes. Each cohort is made up of 15 young people, ages 15-22, who live, work, learn and play in Durham.
During our Youth Listening Project, young people told us they wanted more opportunities to be leaders and decision makers in local government. The creation of the Changed by Youth Ambassador Program is a direct response to what we heard; it’s also a response to the growing demand among local government and community organizations for youth engagement in their various projects.
Ambassadors are supported by the Office on Youth (OOY) to be part of planning and decision-making processes in the City and County, and to ultimately influence programs and policies. They receive ongoing racial equity and equitable community engagement training, which they apply to their projects and their other engagements. At the end of their term, ambassadors come together to plan a community offering that highlights the needs and celebrates the experiences of other young people in Durham.
How CBY WorksThe OOY hires young people (15-22 years) to consult with local government and community organizations on different engagement, program, policy, and planning efforts. Ambassadors are recruited once a year and serve a full term in a paid fellowship model. At the end of the term, ambassadors can renew their commitment. Returning ambassadors participate in the recruitment and hiring of new ambassadors to fill the vacant seats in July each year.
The Office on Youth supports ambassadors in their roles by: offering various skill building opportunities; connecting ambassadors to key departments, officials, and community partners; and working directly with departments to clearly define the youth engagement strategies they’ll be using.
Ambassadors:
- Participate in regular ambassador meetings and trainings.
- Attend a 3-day overnight retreat August 16-18.
- Work with fellow ambassadors, OOY, other City and County departments, and officials.
- Serve as an advisor and decision maker in various engagement, program, policy, and planning efforts.
- Work with fellow ambassadors and partners to plan community offerings.
- Help promote City and County opportunities, and engage your peers and community in the work.
- Commit up to 15 hours a month between August 2024 and June 2025.
- Receive $17.50 per hour (up to $2400 per term).
- Must live, work, or learn in Durham
- Must be 15-22 years by August 2024
- Experience in and comfortable working with a large (14+) team
- Be a team player and considerate of the group
- Committed to seeing youth in Durham thrive
- Available evenings and weekends
- Have an understanding of how inequity and power show up in communities
- Become a City of Durham "Vendor" (involves some paperwork, we can help with that!)
