Downtown College Ambassador Program

The Diamond City Partnership’s College Ambassador Program was launched in 2019 as a pilot program to pair students from King’s College and Wilkes University with Downtown Wilkes-Barre businesses who were struggling as a result of the pandemic. The program subsequently expanded to include students from Penn State Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County Community College, and Misericordia University.

Each semester, DCP hosts a cohort of student ambassadors who work with downtown businesses, providing assistance with marketing and branding, implementation of new business practices, graphic design and promotions, development of work plans, help with social media, website instruction, and other relevant topics.

Students partner with business owners to build trust, establish relationships, and connect hesitant owners with much-needed resources through organizations like the Wilkes University Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Wilkes University's Allan P. Kirby Center for Entrepreneurship & Free Enterprise, and the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber.

Through this program, college students don’t simply gain real-world, hands-on experience through work with local business owners – they also serve as ambassadors on their prospective campuses, promoting Downtown Wilkes-Barre’s businesses to their fellow students. Through targeted social
media campaigns, digital marketing strategies, and on-campus outreach, the ambassadors work to increase engagement and patronage to local businesses.