The Office of American Spaces developed these standards (PDF 418 KB) to provide American Spaces, Embassies/Consulates and host organizations with guidelines for the services and programs an American Space should offer, the resources that should be available, and how the American Space should look and feel to a visitor. The Standards are designed to promote thoughtful conversations among Mission personnel, partner organizations hosting Spaces, REPS and ECA/A/M about how American Spaces support Mission goals.

The Standards differentiate among the three types of American Spaces (Centers, Corners, and Binational Centers) and feature revised classifications for each type of American Space (Comprehensive and Standard).  The classifications describe the levels of programming and service.  They are descriptive, not evaluative (e.g., one category is not superior to another), and they acknowledge that American Spaces do not fit a one-size-fits-all model and so should not all be evaluated using the same Standards.  Spaces classifications should be determined by the Space and Post in consultation with the Regional Public Engagement Specialists (REPS).