2025 Youth Ambassador Application is OPEN!
Are you between the ages of 15-18 and want to learn more about how SDOT creates programs? Don’t miss your chance to apply for the 2025 Youth Ambassador program! This is a paid learning opportunity beginning August 5, 2025.
Applications are due June 18.
About the Program
Program Details
- Dates: August 5 – August 28
- Schedule: Every Tuesday and Thursday from 10am-3pm
- Location: Seattle Municipal Tower – 700 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104
- Who can participate: Applicants ages 15-18 who live or study in Seattle
- Stipend: Participants will receive $600 at the end of the program
What will I do as a Youth Ambassador?
- Go on weekly field trips: Visit SDOT facilities, meet industry experts, and learn from transit professionals
- Gain valuable skills: Discover how transportation projects are planned and executed, from ideas to reality
- Job shadow experts: Explore careers in Transportation planning, engineering, communications, and more
Program Goals:
- Provide community-centered education and engagement for Seattle youth
Work with youth to help them understand the intersections of climate justice, transportation access and transportation equity - Support a cohort of youth to become climate and transportation ambassadors in their community
- Support youth to co-create and lead real projects implemented in Seattle
- Provide youth pre-employment soft skills workshop led by industry experts.
- Provide an opportunity for SDOT to further learn about youth's experiences and challenges with transportation.
Background and History
In 2019, we launched the Youth Transportation Ambassadors Program. This program is funded by the Seattle Transit Measure. Through this program, we partnered with two community-based organizations (CBOs) to teach youth leaders about public transit options, and to help youth become transit ambassadors in their community.
In 2022, we partnered with the Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) to launch the Youth Ambassador Program as part of SYEP’s Learn and Earn: Career Pathways track.
In 2023, we decided to reevaluate the structure of the Youth Ambassador program and paused it for 2024.