Cultural Ambassador Program

Background: Cultural diversity impacts our lives and has become an increasingly important element globally. Increased multicultural interactions continue to grow; therefore, promoting awareness of cultural differences and initiating discussions on this topic is one of the many pivotal missions of the Minority Officers Liaison Council (MOLC). In April 2022, representatives from each Chartered Minority Advisory Group (CMAG) united to establish the Cultural Awareness Workgroup (CAWG), a specialized task force within the MOLC. The workgroup was developed to provide a platform for all CMAGs to collaborate and share ideas and lessons learned from their cultural outreach events and initiatives launched to promote a diverse and inclusive USPHS community. In an effort to advance similar cultural outreach efforts, the CAWG created The Cultural Ambassador Program in the Fall of 2022 to promote cultural awareness within USPHS Commissioned Corps. During the pilot program, CAWG members presented valuable information on the cultures and traditions of Puerto Rico, Vietnam, Nigeria, Ghana, Venezuela, Colombia, and Mexico to officers within the workgroup. The pilot was well received, which sets the stage for the CAWG to roll out the program Corps-wide in 2023.

Purpose: The purpose of the Cultural Ambassador Program is to recruit volunteer officers from a diverse set of backgrounds and cultures to promote cultural awareness within the USPHS Commissioned Corps. The volunteer Cultural Ambassadors will have the opportunity to share their unique cultural knowledge and experiences with other USPHS officers through different venues such as presentations, lunch & learn trainings, newsletters, MOLC website, among others. The program will enable officers to gain a wealth of knowledge about different cultural backgrounds to effectively support the USPHS mission and the communities they serve.

Contact Us: If you have any questions or would like to volunteer for the Program, please contact the MOLC Cultural Awareness Workgroup Co-Leads, LCDR Tramara Dam and LCDR Jorge G. Muniz Ortiz.