Youth Ambassadors

What is the Youth Ambassadors Program?

The Youth Ambassadors Program is a partnership between SDOT and SYEP. We work with the Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) to provide high school students an opportunity to learn about transportation access and climate justice through SDOT-led classes, SYEP soft skills classes, and a student-led project.  Youth participants will have mentorship opportunities with transportation experts and lead conversations about transportation access, education, and safety within their communities.

Please contact SYEP directly if you or a youth in your life are interested in applying! 

Program details

• Monthly SDOT-led classes focusing on transportation equity, climate optimism, mobility justice, transportation access, safety and youth advocacy
• SYEP-taught job readiness skills training and workshops
• Collaboration with other youth in the cohort
• A final project/deliverable
• Project presentation at end of year celebration 

Background

In 2019, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) launched the Youth Transportation Ambassadors Program, partnering with two community-based organizations to teach youth leaders about public transit options, and to mobilize youth to become transit ambassadors in their community.

In 2022, SDOT partnered with the Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) to launch the Youth Ambassador Program as part of SYEP’s Learn and Earn: Career Pathways track.  

Through this program, we aim to:

• Provide community-centered education and engagement for low-income Seattle youth
• Work with youth to help them understand the intersections of climate justice, transportation access and transportation equity
• Support a cohort of youth to become climate and transportation ambassadors in their community
• Support youth to co-create and lead real projects implemented in Seattle and King County
• Provide youth pre-employment soft skills workshop led by industry experts.
• Provide an opportunity for SDOT and King County Metro to further learn about youth's experiences and challenges with transit. 

What is the Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP)? 

The Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) supports young people (ages 16 to 24) from qualifying-income households and communities that experience racial, social, and economic disparities. The goal is to increase youth and young adults' ability to pursue careers that pay well and are meaningful to them.

Learn and Earn: Career Pathways

SYEP offers Career Pathways for those who have a career sector already in mind. Career Pathways is an intensive, intermediate-advanced level training program where participants receive technical training in their chosen career track and are provided support from dedicated staff members to prepare them for entry-level professional internship/job experience(s).

Participants within this program also receive job readiness skills training and workshops from subject matter experts (SMEs), and are provided opportunities to job shadow and interview professionals within their chosen career field. Participants can participate in the program and earn a monthly stipend to help support them while studying.