The AMBASSADOR PROGRAM FOR NORTH-SOUTH ALUMNI (APNA), is a program that will allow Indian American students in High Schools and Colleges to volunteer in India during their summer break or any extended visit.

About North South Foundation

For the past 25+ years, the North South Foundation has been working with Indian American youth in the US as well as with the underprivileged students in India, providing a specialized platform for academic success in both countries. In the US, we have conducted various educational contests and workshops in spelling, vocabulary, math, science, geography, essay writing, and public speaking. Our alumni have attained great heights in national bees in these categories, as well as game shows like Jeopardy. Additionally, we continue to go from strength to strength with our original mission of providing scholarships to the poor but bright children in India, by opening new chapters and increasing outreach there.

About APNA

The Ambassador Program for North-South Alumni or APNA is a wonderful bridge between the Indian diaspora and their home country. Today, there are over 10,000 North-South families and the number continues to grow every year. Many of the North South Foundation alumni, who honed their academic skills with North-South since elementary school, are now in high school and beyond. These students often visit India during the summer break. They will now have an opportunity to utilize this time to volunteer with APNA program, help aspiring children there, by organizing a workshop in spelling, math or science.

How it works

The material and training for this program is developed at North South Foundation, USA and is provided to the Youth Ambassadors. Additional help is available from local chapters in India to determine best venue/school based on proximity and other factors. To facilitate the program, North South Foundation has established a formal arrangement with the JNV schools in India (see more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jawahar_Navodaya_Vidyalaya). With over 600 schools across India, the JNV attract mainly rural and some urban students through merit scholarships in 6th grade. These schools not only provide a good venue for our India Scholarships, but also for the APNA program. In addition to conducting workshops, our Alumni have the unique opportunity to work as a liaison between the US and India chapters and provide publicity to our scholarship programs in India. So far this program has been well received in its pilot stage and we are happy to roll it out on a broader level for the benefit of thousands of Indian American youth, who visit India during summer.

How it helps

We expect the Youth Ambassador program, APNA, to

• Develop teaching skills
• Enhance knowledge of and connection with their ancestral homeland
• Share their academic skills, especially with underprivileged students in India
• Hone character building traits
• Utilize their summer vacation in a fruitful manner by volunteering for a great cause

How to apply

You can download the application from this link - APNA Application Form.

For additional info, please review the FAQ document - APNA FAQs.

You may get updates, by adding http://www.facebook.com/NorthSouthFoundation to your facebook pages.

Questions? Please contact APNA Team at apna@northsouth.org.