UP Ambassador Role

The University of Portland is honored to serve as partner for the selection and presentation of the 2018 Opus Prize that recognizes faith-based humanitarian leaders addressing some of the world’s most persistent social problems.

As part of this honor, the University conducted an open application process to select six students and three faculty members to accompany members of the Opus Prize Foundation on site visits during the spring of 2018. The site visits were designed as opportunities for these nine Opus Prize Ambassadors to meet and engage with Opus Prize finalists and their communities. The Opus Prize Foundation and University conducted three site visits; each site visit delegation included two Student Ambassadors and one Faculty Ambassador.

These site visit experiences were not service trips and not study abroad trips, but rather "due diligence" site visits to fully engage with the finalists and their organizations and to observe their meaningful and important work. The purpose of the site visits was to ensure that the finalists are meeting the values established by the Opus Prize Foundation and to see these values in action.

Upon the completion of each site visit, members of the delegation collaboratively wrote a summary of their experiences, encounters, and reflections from the visit. These summaries were submitted to the Opus Prize Foundation Board.

During the fall 2018 semester, Student Ambassadors and Faculty Ambassadors will share with our communities the rich texture and personal encounters from the experiences they had with the Opus Prize finalists and their communities.

To prepare for the visits of the Opus Prize finalists in November, the University is creating intentional platforms and opportunities for Opus Prize Ambassadors to share their reflections on campus and within the Portland community.

As they have had the privilege to travel to the communities of the Opus Prize finalists and then to reciprocate this hospitality when the finalists visit Portland, the Opus Prize Ambassadors will be featured prominently during the celebrations of Opus Prize Week in November.

We encourage you to read more about the Opus Prize, the Opus Prize Foundation values, and past award recipients at www.opusprize.org.