AUSTIN — If your high school or college student is looking for a leadership opportunity that will make them stand out on college applications and job interviews, Texas Crime Stoppers has a program that could be perfect for them.
The Crime Stoppers Ambassador Program chooses just 12 students from across Texas each year to serve as youth leaders, helping make their campuses and communities safer while gaining real-world experience that employers and colleges love to see.
What Your Student Would Actually Do
Selected ambassadors don’t just get a fancy title — they roll up their sleeves and get to work on projects that matter:
Create Campus Safety Campaigns: Your student would design and run awareness programs at their school, teaching other students how to report suspicious activities and stay safe. Think of it like being the student government president, but focused on safety.
Write for a Statewide Newsletter: Each ambassador gets assigned a month to write an article that goes out to Crime Stoppers programs across Texas. They might interview school resource officers, share success stories, or write about leadership — giving them real publishing experience.
Represent Texas Students: Ambassadors attend the annual Texas Crime Stoppers Campus Conference, where they present their projects to adults who run these programs statewide. It’s like giving a presentation to a board of directors.
What Makes a Good Ambassador
Program coordinators look for students who already show:
Natural Leadership: They’re the ones other students listen to and respect, whether they’re class officers or just the person everyone turns to for advice.
Maturity Beyond Their Years: These students can handle real responsibility and represent their school professionally in any situation.
Flexibility: They can adapt when plans change and work well with different types of people — from fellow students to police officers to community leaders.
Genuine Care for Others: The best ambassadors truly want to make their schools and communities safer, not just pad their resume.
Real Benefits Your Student Gets
College Application Gold: Admissions officers love seeing students who’ve taken on real leadership roles with measurable impact. An ambassador can write about creating safety campaigns, working with law enforcement, and leading statewide initiatives.
Professional Skills: Your student will learn to write professionally, give presentations to adults, manage projects, and work with deadlines — skills that transfer directly to any career.
Networking Opportunities: Ambassadors work with law enforcement, school officials, and community leaders across Texas, building a network that could help them throughout their career.
Leadership Experience: Unlike student government, which mostly affects one school, ambassadors impact safety programs across the entire state.
What the Time Commitment Looks Like
This isn’t a huge time drain on your student’s schedule. Ambassadors typically spend:
- A few hours monthly working on their assigned projects
- Time writing one newsletter article during their assigned month
- Attendance at the annual conference where they present their work
Most students find they can easily balance this with school, sports, and other activities.
The Selection Process
Only 12 students are chosen each year from across Texas, making this a competitive but achievable opportunity. Students are evaluated on:
- Their application and essay
- Recommendations from teachers or community leaders
- Evidence of leadership in their school or community
- Their vision for improving campus safety
What Parents Are Saying
Parents of past ambassadors report their students gained confidence, learned to work with adults as peers, and developed skills that helped them in college interviews and job applications.
“My daughter learned to speak up in meetings, manage her time better, and see the bigger picture of how her actions affect others,” said one parent from Dallas. “Those skills helped her get into her first-choice college.”
Is This Right for Your Student?
This program works best for students who:
- Are already involved in school activities or community service
- Feel comfortable speaking in front of groups
- Want to make a real difference in school safety
- Are looking for leadership experience that goes beyond their campus
- Plan to attend college or enter careers where leadership matters
How to Apply
Interested students should contact their school’s Crime Stoppers coordinator or reach out to Texas Crime Stoppers directly. Applications typically open in the spring for the following school year.
The program is free to participate in, and Texas Crime Stoppers covers travel expenses for the annual conference.
Bottom Line
If your student is already showing leadership potential and wants experience that will set them apart, the Crime Stoppers Ambassador Program offers something you can’t get anywhere else: the chance to impact safety across Texas while building skills that will serve them for life.
In a world where college applications and job interviews get more competitive every year, having genuine leadership experience — not just titles — can make all the difference. And knowing your student is helping make schools safer? That’s a bonus no parent can put a price on.
