William O Lockridge Community Foundation

The U.S. Foreign Service Initiative (USFSI), under the umbrella of the IAP, is designed to address former President Joe Bidens mission to diversify the top ranks of government agencies and to give high school students in Wards 7 & 8 the opportunity to learn about careers in international affairs. Not long after his inauguration in January 2021, the Presidents first ambassadorial nomination was Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. President Biden said the nomination reflected his pledge to make institutions reflect the American public they represent at home and abroad. In Southeast Washington, D.C., the WOLCF carries the Presidents mandate with the USFSI. In 2024, 20 students committed to attending six sessions in the Spring and Fall semesters on the following topics: International Trade, Domestic and International Media, Travel and Tourism, African History and global Civilizations, Culture, Fashion, and Food, and International Diplomacy. The sessions enabled student participants to interact, question, and even role-play with international trade experts. African tourism representatives, U.S. Department of State officials, and local, national, and international media personnel. The International Ambassadors Program (IAP) is not just about traveling abroad and engaging in a cultural exchange. Its about personal growth, understanding, appreciating other cultures, and developing a broader worldview. By taking students to Africa, the WOLCF enables them to learn about their ethnicity and connect with their ancestors by visiting countries where their families have roots. Lockridge Ambassadors cultivate more nuanced perspectives of their racial and cultural identities through these encounters and international travel. For most Lockridge Ambassadors, participating in the IAP marks the first time they have applied for and received a passport and country visa. The best part? The WOLCF fully covers these expenses, ensuring that the journey to Africa is a stress-free and fully supported experience. Highlights of each country visit include spending time with local students and their families, meetings, and paying courtesy visits to the U.S. Ambassadors at the American Embassy. The WOLCF has taken close to 20 Lockridge Ambassadors to Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, and, most recently, Madagascar.