UNIVERSITY PARK Pa. — After a successful pilot program, Penn State Residence Life is expanding the IDEA Ambassador program to include cohorts in each residence area on campus with nearly double the student staff.
"Penn State is home to so many students with diverse backgrounds, experiences and identities — but it can be really difficult to find similar peers and adjust to living in a residence hall that may be thousands of miles from their homes and families,” said graduate assistant and program support Jayden Toomer. “IDEA Ambassadors have gone through some of the same struggles. Our goal is to help every resident find a home here and shape a community that brings out the best in everyone."
IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility) Ambassadors are student leaders embedded in residence halls on campus with a goal of strengthening support and providing resources for resident students, especially those in their first year. Ambassadors mentor and create connections with first-year students while developing programs centered around equity and inclusion.
“These students have been part of a wider effort to make Penn State a place where everyone can experience belonging, especially during those crucial arrival weeks when everyone is finding their communities on campus,” said Alvaro De la Cruz Jr., senior assistant director of inclusive excellence with Residence Life.
De la Cruz said that having a peer who is well versed in the resources and communities on campus has created a welcoming environment for students who need help connecting in a safe and meaningful way.
Ambassadors are provided room and board and work closely with resident assistants and professional staff to provide crucial resources to students. Students work closely with Student Affairs professionals in Residence Life, the Center for Social Change and Belonging, the Paul Robeson Cultural Center, the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, and others to understand resources and create pathways for student success.
Students interested in becoming an IDEA Ambassador can attend an information session to learn more about the program. Candidates can complete an online interest form before the interview process begins in February. Those accepted to the IDEA Ambassador program will be notified by the end of March.
“This program is what we’re striving for as a university in creating a place for all to feel part of something bigger than themselves while finding the support to grow and succeed,” De la Cruz Jr. said.