The PeaceJam Ambassadors Program is designed for youth ages 14-19 and explores issues related to peace, violence, social justice and oppression. Youth study the lives and work of 12 Nobel Peace Laureates and the strategies they use to address pressing global issues. Participating youth create and implement their own Global Call to Action Projects, becoming creative leaders who are committed to solving the most difficult problems facing our world. The program also includes an annual PeaceJam Youth Conference where youth spend a weekend with a Nobel Peace Laureate, giving them an unprecedented opportunity to share with, learn from, and be inspired by a world leader for peace.

The PeaceJam Youth Conference (ages 14-19)
The PeaceJam Youth Conference is a two-day gathering of high school youth in one of the established affiliate regions. Approximately 400 people attend, representing a broad and diverse cross-section of the communities in each region. At the conference, participants interact with the featured Nobel Peace Prize Laureate through question and answer sessions and presentations from the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. Students also have a chance to present their plans for initiating positive change in their communities directly to the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. When the participants are not interacting with the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, they are engaged in many different activities. These activities include a variety of leadership workshops, meetings in small groups with youth from different schools, team building games and more. The youth also participate in a service project set up in the community in which the conference is held.

The PeaceJam Youth Conference is typically preceded by a public lecture on the night before the conference begins. This is not considered a part of the PeaceJam Youth Conference. The public lecture offers an opportunity for the community, parents, and others with an interest to learn from the Nobel Peace Laureates.

What are the requirements to participate in the PeaceJam Ambassadors Program?

Students need to accomplish the following tasks before participating in the regional PeaceJam Youth Conference

STUDY THE PEACEJAM AMBASSADORS CURRICULUM: Cover the main themes/ideas of the resource guide before the PeaceJam conference, and watch the accompanying video. (This is obtained by the sponsor, teacher or adult overseer of the PeaceJam Youth group, club or class during an adult advisor training session.)

CREATE A GLOBAL CALL TO ACTION PLAN & POSTER FOR YOUR SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECT: Brainstorm ideas and create your own peace/service-learning project for your community. Your group must create a display of their Global Call to Action Plan on a tri-fold science project display board to be displayed throughout the conference and used in their presentation to the Nobel Laureate.

FILL OUT GLOBAL CALL TO ACTION PLAN REPORT SHEET: This form is to help you organize your two minute presentation to the Nobel Laureate on Sunday. Also, you must turn this form in to a PeaceJam staff member as you leave the stage after your presentation.

PREPARE QUESTIONS FOR THE NOBEL PEACE LAUREATE: Your group will have a chance to ask questions of the Nobel Laureate on Saturday. The group should brainstorm questions and bring its three most important questions to the conference.

OUTREACH TO SHARE THE PROGRAM: Find ways to involve as many youth as possible in the PeaceJam program beyond those who will represent your class/school at the conference.

STUDENT SELECTION FOR THE CONFERENCE: Facilitate the group's selection of students to attend the conference. We recommend also selecting alternates in case someone is not able to attend.

RELEASE FORMS & CONFERENCE FEES: Make sure release forms and conference fees are mailed on time to the PeaceJam Affiliate office. They are typically due one month prior to the PeaceJam Conference.

The PeaceJam Slam (ages 14-19)
The PeaceJam Slam takes place six months after the PeaceJam Youth Conference. The PeaceJam Slam is a one day conference bringing students together to report in on the service projects for their community they have already completed, attend leadership training workshops, and get excited about the next PeaceJam year. At the PeaceJam Slam, students find out which Nobel Peace Prize Laureate they will be studying for the next year. It is also a time for the teacher/sponsors to be trained in the new curriculum for the upcoming year.

The PeaceJam Ambassadors program is the primary PeaceJam Program being offered in the Heartland Region.

The PeaceJam Juniors Program is a standards-based curriculum for ages 5-11 that explores the childhood stories of 12 Nobel Peace Laureates and the character traits they embody. Students study the personal experiences of these amazing world leaders and then engage in service-learning projects that address needs in their local community. As a result, students gain academic and social skills including leadership, conflict resolution, problem solving and character development.

The PeaceJam Leaders Program is a new standards-based curriculum for young people between the ages of 11 and 14. It explores the adolescent stories of 12 Nobel Peace Laureates and the strategies they used to overcome problems in their lives and their communities. Through this age-appropriate curriculum, youth explore their own identities and re-examine the choices they make, including their role models and peer groups to which they belong. Youth also develop leadership and problem-solving skills while engaging in service-learning activities that address local needs.

The national PeaceJam office is developing a curriculum for use in college-level courses.

The PeaceJam Ambassadors program already allows college students to participate as mentors in a service-learning project. This includes leading "family groups" of high school students in the study of the PeaceJam curriculum and other activities during a PeaceJam Youth Conference. Mentors receive advance training in order to perform this vital service.