Global Scholar: America 250

July 3-5, 2026. Based at American University, Washington, DC

Experience America’s 250th in Washington, DC!

Join us to commemorate America’s 250th Anniversary this summer in Washington, DC. This is an important time to gather, celebrate, reflect, and look ahead.

Our program includes: 
  • July 3: Visit local universities, including Georgetown, George Washington, and American University.
  • July 4: Experience July 4 on the National Mall, including the nation’s best fireworks display! We’ll also explore various America’s 250th events happening around DC.
  • July 5: Reflect on our experience, set intentions for our work as youth leaders moving forward
What’s Included
  • Residential housing at American University in Washington, DC
  • All meals, local transportation, and program materials
  • Daily programming led by expert facilitators and guest speakers
  • Cultural excursions and community-building activities
  • Access to AMP’s alumni network and year-round leadership opportunities
This Experience is Ideal For:

Youth interested in leadership, social issues, government, diplomacy, public policy, advocacy, or economic development. This program is for rising 8th-12th graders who are curious, bold, and visionary. You do not need any particular prior experience or coursework; the biggest thing we look for is curiosity and eagerness to explore urgent global challenges and become changemakers. The program is held in English.

This program is designed to be a fun-filled, fast-paced weekend. It is best places as an add-on to Global Scholar Session 1 (June 28-July 3), or the ReGen Summit (July 5-8). 

Details and Logistics:

Where will this program take place? This summer our Washington, DC programs are based at beautiful American University. American is a lovely and historic campus with easy access to shops, stores, and downtown Washington, DC.

Housing: Scholars stay in a secure dorm on campus alongside our program staff. Most rooms are double occupancy, with a shared bathroom on the floor. Our residential staff-to-student ratio is approximately 1:9. Laundry facilities and vending machines are available in the dorm.

Meals: While we eat many of our meals in the dining hall, we also eat in downtown Washington, DC on the days we are visiting offices or sightseeing. The campus also has several restaurants and shops. We are always able to accommodate special diets or allergies; please share anything we should know on your welcome survey.

Price: We are committed to ensuring as many students as possible can benefit from this life-changing experience. We are committed to offering an honest and accessible price. We are significantly more affordable than any of our peer programs. This is not due to any difference in quality of programming. Rather, we are a mission-focused non-profit organization, not a business looking to extract excessive costs from students and their families.

The application process: We offer one application for all of our programs, found here. We strive to respond to all applications within 7 days. We will send you a link to register for your chosen program(s) in your acceptance email. Please make an initial deposit for the program within 10 days of acceptance to save your spot.

How do I apply for financial aid? We will share the financial aid application with admitted students, and release aid decisions once per month. There is no application fee.

What’s included: The program fee includes room, board, materials, and the program itself. Scholars are responsible for paying for transportation to/from Washington, DC, supplemental meals or snacks, and spending money. Scholars are also expected to pay for lunch on the three days we are sightseeing downtown. Although it’s hard to estimate, a reasonable amount of spending money might be $50-75/week. Scholars may also opt for airport pick up at their point of arrival (DCA or IAD airports, or Union Station) for a small transfer fee.

What else can I do with AMP Global Youth this summer? This summer, we are offering programs in Washington, DC, Atlanta GA and Online. Here’s an overview:

  • Global Scholar Session 1: Washington, DC. June 28-July 3. Based at American University, Washington, DC (weekend extension available)
  • ReGen Youth Summit: July 5-8. Based at American University, Washington DC and/or Virtual (weekend extension available)
  • Global Scholar Session 3: Atlanta GA and Montgomery, AL. July 12-18. Based at Emory University, Atlanta, GA (with travel to Montgomery, AL)

Questions? Please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are a virtual office, so email is usually the fastest way to reach us: GlobalScholar@AMPGlobalYouth.org. We are very happy to schedule a time to speak, too!

We hope to see you in Washington this summer!