Young Philadelphians are stepping up as youth diplomats for America 250

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The Youth Diplomats program kicked off Thursday, inviting more than 100 high schoolers from the Philadelphia region to celebrate the new initiative at Lincoln Financial Field.

The program, created by The World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, trains over 300 students to serve as volunteers at America 250 events throughout the city and educates them in cultural diplomacy, civic engagement best practices and the significance of 2026.

Lauren Swartz, president and CEO of World Affairs, said she thinks it is “extremely important” to engage younger voices in civics, and she created this new program to do so.

“Young people are passionate about what’s going on in the world that they live in,” Swartz said. “They have a lot of questions and they don’t want to be left on the sideline.”

Students will have the opportunity to sign up for activities they are most interested in, whether that means helping set up a block party, working at a big festival or welcoming visitors from around the world. These young Philadelphians will receive volunteer hours for their work that can go towards their graduation or a scholarship.

Swartz said the organization also identified youth diplomats with non-English language skills and will send them to serve as foreign language guides, fostering more cultural connectivity.

Philadelphia youth stepping up

Michelle Wallace started participating in World Affairs programming when she was 10. Now a sophomore at the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School, she is excited that the organization is giving young Philadelphians a chance to participate in a milestone event.

“What the World Affairs Council really does so well is giving the youth a platform to voice their opinions on the global issues that matter to them,” Wallace said.

The 15-year-old said the organization has given her a lot of cultural intelligence and honed her collaborative skills.

“It’s important that we’re able to raise our voices and be able to speak up about the things that matter to us, so it’s representative of the population,” Wallace said.

Arielle Sarkodie, a 14-year-old student at Gerard College, said it’s important that initiatives like the Youth Diplomat program exist for her and her peers to share their personal experiences and individual perspectives.

“We get to show how we feel as the youth,” Sarkodie said.

Jonah Staples, an 18-year-old student at Carver Engineering and Science high school, talked about the importance of youth representation in something like America 250.

“When young people don’t have a voice in these important milestones, it completely silences our voices,” Staples said. “Being able to raise the youth voice has definitely been a goal of mine.”

A celebration at the Linc

Eagles staff invited students in attendance to tour Lincoln Financial Field, getting a behind the scenes look at where post-game press conferences are held and the team’s locker room. The group even got to step out onto the field.

The Youth Diplomats took photos with Lombardi trophies and held gear from star players like Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley. Bodine High School for International Affairs’ mascot, a human-sized globe named Amby, joined the young Philadelphians and demonstrated how to greet foreign visitors with the Eagles’ mascot, Swoop.

There are still spots available for Philadelphia-area high schoolers to apply to become a Youth Diplomat and represent Philadelphia for the upcoming 2026 events.