About the Embassy Speakers Program

• What is the American Dream?
• What do Americans think about Portugal?
• How does the U.S. election system work?
• What does a typical school day in the U.S. look like?
• What sports do most American students play in school?

These are some typical questions that young Portuguese students ask the American speakers at U.S. Embassy school outreach programs. The Embassy Speakers program is designed to help clarify the picture by bringing U.S. Embassy/Consulate staff – together with school students in Portugal to engage them in a dialogue about everyday life in the United States. The goal is to answer questions and engage in discussions with Portuguese youth about the U.S.

Visits can be structured to meet curriculum needs but teachers should not expect a formal lecture.  The American speakers present a short overview of a particular subject relating to American society and culture or talk more generally about their lives (their jobs or job goals, the schools and universities they attended, their hometowns) and then open the floor to discussion and questions.

We offer this program free of cost to the schools and other institutions.

How to request a speaker

To request a visit by an Embassy speaker, interested schools can email PASLisbon@state.gov. Include the following information in your request:

• Name, address and information about the school (type of school, special profiles, etc.)
• The name and telephone number/email of a contact person at the school
• Desired date (requests should be made well in advance; please give alternate dates)
• The grade of the class
• Number of participating students
• Desired language (English or Portuguese)
• Suggested or likely discussion topic