We are elated to share the news that 78 Angelenos between ages 14 and 24 have joined the inaugural cohort of LA2050 Youth Ambassadors.

The Youth Ambassadors will spread the word about voting in the 2022 LA2050 Grants Challenge to friends, family, and neighbors. In return, they will have the opportunity to learn about careers in social impact, receive outreach training, make a real impact on local issues – and be awarded a certificate that can be added to resumes or applications and will be eligible to win prizes of up to $500 in value.

The cohort represents communities from across Los Angeles County, including Compton, Covina, Culver City, Inglewood, Northridge, Pomona, Studio City, and Central, East, and West Los Angeles. They are middle and high school students, college students, and young professionals who all share a common passion for serving their communities and a desire to learn more about social impact.

We asked our Youth Ambassadors to share what excites them most about participating in the program. Here are five of our favorite responses:

• “I'm excited that I could learn what people care about in my community and that my actions could bring real change."
• “All my life, I have been dedicated to serving my community. I feel this program would deeply enhance my leadership skills and volunteering experiences!"
• “I am excited about this Youth Ambassador experience because it will help me take the next step forward in learning how to make the impact I want to make on the world. I am also excited to connect with people who also want to make a difference."
• “I want to be an advocate for my community. Especially during times like this, it's important that diverse voices are heard."
• “I know that being a LA2050 Youth Ambassador will really help me to educate my loved ones on important issues and learn more myself about my community and city."

We cannot wait to see what our first-ever LA2050 Youth Ambassadors accomplishes through the 2022 LA2050 Grants Challenge and beyond! Stay tuned for more.