International Ambassador Program
The International Ambassador Program is one of the school’s student leadership programs, and it offers students the chance to be creative, to be mentors, to learn organizational skills, and to plan fun events for the campus.
PP: Can you talk a bit about the International Ambassador Program that you oversee?
American Studies class put on a demonstration and explained the rules of American football. I think a lot of us—not just the international kids—benefited from that!
LH: This is one of the school’s student leadership programs, and it offers students the chance to be creative, to be mentors, to learn organizational skills, and to plan fun events for the campus.
By the way, this assembly generated enough interest in badminton for several of the student players/presenters to organize a new badminton club on campus.
The objective of the international ambassadors is to bring people together to create events that build bridges between the different cultures at our school. Besides the obvious goal of building bridges between international and domestic students, they create events that bring together international students from different countries, as well as day students and boarders, athletes and artists, and so forth.
The ambassadors also organize the menu for the International Café at the annual Harvest Festival. On weekends, the ambassadors might host a dance or karaoke party.
The international ambassadors’ work begins in the summer before the start of the school year. They reach out to new international students, answering any questions they might have about student life at Putney. They then help organize the international students’ orientation, which happens a few days before the campus opens for new domestic students. The ambassadors create events throughout the school year. They have a booth every Friday at the KDU to teach Putney students about other countries. One recent booth featured an exhibit of hats from around the world, and Putney students had to guess to which country each hat belonged. Another time, the ambassadors hosted a tea-tasting event where Putney students tasted teas from many countries. The ambassadors’ Friday booth is different every week. The ambassadors also put on larger events, such as assemblies and presentations. On Valentine’s Day, the ambassadors hosted an international fashion show in the Currier Center in which students wore their country’s traditional dress. [Editor’s note: Search “Putney School international fashion show” on YouTube to see a video.] Another recent international ambassador assembly took place in the Field House, where the ambassadors recruited students to demonstrate sports that are not commonly played competitively in the States: badminton, table tennis, and Taekwondo. At this same assembly, members of Pete Stickney’s
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PP: What about their contributions to traditional Putney events, like the Snow Ball? LH: This year’s Snow Ball was a major project because the Lunar New Year fell just a few days before Snow Ball. The ambassadors planned the dinner menu with foods from around the Pacific Rim, and decorated the KDU with Chinese lanterns, candles, red tablecloths, and other decorations. As a prelude to the weekend’s festivities, the ambassadors organized the now-annual Lunar New Year fireworks show. This occurred at the actual start of the New Year, which fell on the Thursday before the Snow Ball. The dinner was followed by a contra dance in the Currier Center, a nice blend of New England culture with the cultures celebrating the Lunar New Year.
PP: Can Putney students from the U.S. serve as ambassadors, as well? How are ambassadors chosen? LH: Any Putney student can apply to be an ambassador. International ambassadors are selected the same way student dorm heads or work committee heads are chosen. First, students write and submit an essay telling us why they would like to be an international ambassador, including telling us what ideas, experiences, and skills they would bring to the position. Next, my colleague Marie and I interview the student candidates. Finally, we take our recommendations to the group of Putney administrators and teachers who make the final decision regarding all selected student leadership positions, including student dorm heads, work committee members, and student admissions committee members.