Visitors and newcomers to Tempe’s Mill Avenue District can better take advantage of the shopping and dining opportunities thanks to a new program called Mill Avenue Ambassadors.

The program, similar to one in downtown Phoenix’s Copper Square, puts volunteer guides around Mill Avenue and surrounding streets to help visitors find their way in the bustling and often confusing area.

“This first semester is our test to see what works and what doesn’t,” said Casaundra Brown, spokeswoman for the Downtown Tempe Community.

DTC, a nonprofit organization that manages the Mill Avenue District, partnered with the Tempe Convention and Visitors Bureau to create the program.

The program is designed to keep tourists on Mill Avenue longer and prepare for the new light-rail line set to open in December, said Michael Martin, the bureau’s vice president.

“We saw an opportunity because of the new light rail,” Martin said. “When that light rail opens, there [are] going to be service providers giving directions from the stops.”

Among the volunteer guides in the program are two ASU students, sociology sophomore Ricardo Barnes and communications senior Amanda Jones.

Jones, who hopes to work in public relations, said she heard about the program through a College of Liberal Arts & Sciences internship program.

Jones said she hoped the job would not only prepare her for her career but also help bring more tourists to her native state.

“I was interested in it because it’s promoting events in the Tempe area,” Jones said.

Barnes said he was inspired to join the program by the Copper Square ambassadors, who helped him during his first year at ASU, when he spent most of his time at the Downtown Phoenix campus.

“Those guys were always so helpful,” said Barnes, who hopes to become a lawyer. “They were just so informative, and I loved their job.”

The two ambassadors spend their Friday and Saturday nights from 5 to 9 p.m. patrolling downtown Tempe in a electric cart, looking for pedestrians who flag them down.

They also act as an additional set of eyes and ears during peak hours, looking out for criminal activity and broken equipment along Mill Avenue, according to the DTC Web site.

Martin said the bureau is looking to hire anywhere from four to six students during this semester.

“[We want to hire] somebody who is not afraid to approach people,” Martin said. “Somebody who’s naturally friendly … and wants to learn about the impact of tourism on a community.”

Students interested in applying to the program can find more information at www.downtowntempe.com.

“We’re looking for someone with excellent customer service,” Brown said. “[Preferably] someone pursuing a career in business or tourism.”

Reach the reporter at derek.quizon@asu.edu.