Established in 2009, the Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns Youth Leadership Ambassador Program (The Ambassador Program) is unique within the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens as it aims to work specifically with predominantly underrepresented teens. Born out of an increased need to identify opportunities for minority young men and women ages 14-18 who modeled leadership qualities, the Ambassador Program has been building capacity among the selected leadership cohorts.
Program Timeline
February 2009-Birth of the VBCC Youth Leadership Ambassador Program
Fr. Dwayne Davis Became the founding Project Director
Marilyn Jones-Co-Founder and Coordinator
June 2009- First interviews
September 26, 2009 First Ambassador Orientation- St. Gregory the Great, Brooklyn
October 17, 2009-First Ambassador Praise Brunch Fundraiser
January 9, 2010- Start “Youth and Young Adult Leadership Day Conference”
February 27, 2010- First Ambassador Gala
September 2010- Creation of the Queens site for the Ambassador Program at St. Joseph on Sutphin Blvd
March 19, 2011-First March Madness Event- St. Clare’s Queens
2011-Community Service Projects began
February 2012- First Youth Lock-in
March 2012- College Tours began
December 26, 2012-Annual Christmas outing
March 2013-Ambassador Enrichment – Culinary Arts /Build a Business (Battle of the Chefs)
June 29, 2013-Ordination of Fr. Dwayne
April 2014- JFK 5K Runway Run
April 6-8, 2015- Mission trip to New Orleans (College Tour & Community Service)
September 2015-New Ambassador Brooklyn Site-St. Thomas Aquinas
July 2016-Mission Trip to Jamaica
July 6-9 2017-National Black Catholic Congress-Orlando Florida Trip
September 2017-Ms. Maniese Mendonca-Ambassador Coordinator
October 14, 2017- Lupus walk-Ambassadors for Marilyn
November 4, 2017- Black Catholic Symposium-Ambassador Enrichment Day
April 14, 2018-Marilyn Jones Perseverance award started
April 28, 2018-Mrs. Marilyn Jones went Home to Heaven
June 29-July 12 2018- Mission Trip to Africa- Uganda, Rwanda & South Africa
November 3, 2018-Ambassador Praise Concert
April 27, 2019-Happy 10th Anniversary
July 1-7, 2019-Mission trip to Puerto Rico
April 14, 2021 – First online gala due to the pandemic
October 2021 – Tatiana Jones joins as Ambassador Coordinator
June 15-18, 2022 – Archbishop Lyke Conference, Grapevine, Texas trip
November 8-12, 2022 – National Catholic Youth Convention Long Beach, California trip
July 16-23, 2023 – National Black Catholic Congress Washington, DC trip