This Pay-It-Forward leadership through social innovation program affirms today’s leaders between the ages of 9 and 16, focusing on the competencies of leadership, communication, active citizenship, social entrepreneurship and personal development. Ambassadors are expected to run their own projects to benefit their own communities, confirming that knowledge is not power; what you do with knowledge is powerful! Our flagship chapter started at Kingston High NY in 2019.
“Being a Pay-it-Forward Ambassador has been one of the most enriching and rewarding experiences I’ve ever been blessed to have. It is not one of those things you join because you want it on resumes or college applications, but rather something that you do because you truly believe in the cause and you enjoy being a part of it. Being involved in your community and talking about things that many people don’t usually think about is very connecting and valuable. Most of all, knowing that you are engaging and actively growing your community and their understanding of different things is empowering, and it has definitely helped me grow as a person and look at situations differently than I would have. I think that if more people were exposed to such an experience, it would help their persona grow as well as enlighten them to the different things that are available to them.” — Hannah Shambo, Kingston, NY