Benefits of Being an Ambassador
- Potential opportunities to learn from and interact with policy professionals (e.g. via staffing and hosting of policy makers, practitioners, and researchers)
- Personal branding, leadership, and teamwork development opportunities
- Public speaking development opportunities (e.g. emceeing, moderating, presenting, etc.)
- Trainings on information dissemination (e.g. email marketing, outreach, social media, etc.) and community engagement (e.g. event coordination) useful for public affairs careers
- Potentially qualifies for the PBPL 198i requirement as a public affairs internship (must put in 120 hours minimum for the year or in a quarter)
- Potential opportunities to serve as the student face of the School in marketing materials
- Potential opportunities to receive SPP branded gear
- Potential for special graduation-related perks, e.g. via an ambassador stole
- Potential for letters of recommendation for the most qualified ambassadors
Team Building
The program employs several motivational tools to encourage self confidence and team building. These include:
- Quarterly High Achievement Awards. Each quarter, an “Ambassador of the Quarter” is recognized for achievements that go above and beyond the minimum requirements of the program.
- Team-Building Socials. To foster positive relations among each other and increase trust-building, ambassadors participate in quarterly socials. These have included hikes, escape rooms, roller skating, and virtual game nights, to name a few.
- Opportunities to Meet the Dean. Occasionally, ambassadors are given the opportunity to interact with the Dean of the SPP through ambassador-only meetings and activities.
Professional Development Trainings
Ambassadors undergo extensive and rigorous training as part of their onboarding. They are all required to attend five days' worth of orientation sessions, which may include:
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Soft Skills Development
- Refinement & Growth Mindset
- Personal Branding
- Leadership and Teamwork
- Improv Mindset
- Professionalism
- Customer Service
- Public Speaking
- Small Talk
- Email Etiquette
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Introduction to Public Affairs and External Relations
- Government Relations
- Donor Relations
- Faculty Relations
-
Introduction to Marketing, Communications, & Branding
- Podcasting
- Email Marketing
- Social Media
- Photography
- Videography
-
Introduction to Event Coordination
- Event Planning
- Event Marketing
- Event Execution
In addition, ambassadors may undergo supplemental trainings throughout the year as part of ongoing professional development.