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The HERO Youth Ambassador Program is a great program that teaches young people unbelievably valuable life lessons that will stay with them forever and may possibly have a big impact on the direction their lives take! And the program is now looking for twenty students from the USA and Canada, ages 16-19, to be selected as 2008 HERO Youth Ambassadors. Young people have until March 1st to apply for the program.

The kids who are accepted will travel to Africa to provide support to children living in AIDS/HIV-affected areas. They will work in the schools, building kitchens, painting murals, and teaching the children. They will also do things like build fences and take over necessary things that might be difficult for the children to get over there - even such simple things as pencils.

You can read more about the program here: Rockin’ Teen Ambassadors! These kids are really awesome, and I am very impressed with all of them. And they are great for giving up their summers for the program, and for the African children. I also think, however, that one of the teens said it perfectly when she said that they would not only be giving, but, also receiving! So true, so true. These teens will come back changed, for sure!

And if you don’t know any teens that would interested in applying, there are many more ways to get involved and be a HERO at home!

The part that really got me excited about the program was watching the HERO Ambassador Webisodes on Youtube - it was really neat to get to know the kids and actually see the work they were involved in. And you get to see what the journey was like getting there. I found it very interesting, and I’m glad that they documented it - there’s no better way to get kids pumped about joining than letting them see what is involved.

A lot of these kids are about to start college. Can you imagine a better way to start your college years? So many kids go nutters once they leave high school/go to college - I’m pretty sure these kids come back and have their feet firmly planted on the ground - what do you think?