People to People Student Ambassador Program

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People to People Seal
People to People Seal
Eisenhower receives People to People committee in 1960
Eisenhower receives People to People committee in 1960

The People to People Student Ambassador Program is an organization based in Spokane, Washington, that offers educational international travel opportunities to elementary, middle, and high school students. The program is administered by Ambassadors Group Inc, a publicly traded corporation[1], however it is one of the sponsored programs of People to People International which is a non-profit organization.[2] The mission of such programs is to "promote peace through understanding," in the words of Dwight D. Eisenhower, who founded the program in 1956.

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The typical length of programs for high school age participants is three weeks, as well as for middle school travelers. People to People Student ambassador programs are geared for students age 10 through age 18.[3] Student Ambassador delegations are composed of approximately 30 to 40 students.[4] Fees vary for domestic and international programs. Prices include all travel expenses, as well as lodging, meals, and activities and these arrangements are made and managed by Ambassadors Group, Inc. (NASDAQ EPAX). The cost varies by program, but has been reported at approximately $4,000-$6,000 for a high-school program in a foreign country and approximately $2,000-$3,000 for a domestic program.[5] The tuition cost does not include items such as passport costs, potential fuel surcharges, emergency funds, or souvenirs. The student:teacher ratio is typically no greater than 10:1, and is often much lower.[6]

Some examples of countries where students have visited include Germany, France, Australia, China, Fiji, and Russia. Experienced alumni students looking to participate in the program again are given the ability to choose more exotic destinations for their next trip such as Antarctica.

The coordinator of the People to People program reports that more than 344,000 students, adults and athletes have participated in the ambassador programs since 1983.[7]

[edit] History

People to People Charter with Walt Disney
People to People Charter with Walt Disney

In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower sought an alternative to the wars he witnessed as a soldier, general and Allied Commander. He called a White House conference of 100 of the top American leaders who joined him in creating the People to People initiative. One of the participants in this conference was Walt Disney, who became one of the founding directors of People to People and later drew inspiration from the People to People initiative to create the "It's a Small World" attraction in 1964.[8] The program was originally sponsored by the U.S. State Department. Eisenhower, the founder of the People to People initiative, decided in 1961 that it should be preserved by private citizens and asked Joyce Hall, founder of Hallmark Cards, to move the program to the private sector. In 1962, the first delegation of university students traveled overseas and stayed with families all over Europe. The first Student Ambassador Program was organized in 1963. People to People recently celebrated its 50th anniversary with a special program in Washington, D.C. The program included a formal reception hosted by Mary Eisenhower and a keynote address by Tom Brokaw. Eight U.S. Presidents since President Eisenhower have served as honorary chairman of People to People, including President George W. Bush, who currently holds that position.[9]

[edit] Notable People to People alumni

Olympic gold medalist and decathlete Rafer Johnson serves on the People to People board of directors and ran the organization's West Coast office.[1]

Anthony Stokes, a former People to People Student Ambassador, was Mr. University USA in 2004, and is an actor in the Shakespeare Theater's production of "The Time of Your Life".[2]

Malcolm David Kelley, a child actor, traveled to the United Kingdom as a Student Ambassador. [3]

[edit] Nomination and application process

Regarding the People to People Student Ambassador program, The New York Times wrote the following: "One important aspect is a request to teachers and alumni to recommend students for inclusion, although this is not required. Recommended students get letters saying they have been nominated, with a quote from President Clinton about the student ambassador program." The nomination process is not exclusive and open to all applicants but admission to the program requires an application and recommendation letters.[4]

The Student Ambassador Program's literature states that invited students are required to obtain three letters of recommendation.[10] The application also describes an interview with the student and a series of required meetings prior to the program trip.

From the Eisenhower Presidential Library, a pamphlet on the 1970 People to People Student Ambassador Program indicates that four letters of recommendation used to be required with the application. Qualifications for the 1970 program were described as: "High School Students recommended by the principal or a teacher, who are capable of properly representing and speaking for our country abroad, thus becoming 'Ambassadors,' will be carefully selected through a written application, health examination certificate and personal screening interviews. To qualify you must have a good school record and interest in people and international affairs."[5] The program has undergone various changes since 1970, generally becoming more open to a wide array of students interested in the People to People international programs and more recent domestic leadership programs.

[edit] Academic accreditation

The program has been academically accredited since 2004 through the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools. Students earn academic credit through participation in the Student Ambassador program and are also eligible to earn service learning credits after completing course requirements. While not all institutions grant credit, universities recognizing academic credit include Stanford University, Princeton University, Yale University, the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of Washington, Washington State University, MIT, Brown University, Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, and Georgetown University. Between 1980 and 2006, program participants received more than 41,300 high school and college credits at various universities and secondary education institutions. [11]

[edit] Better Business Bureau

Ambassador Programs, Inc., which operates the Student Ambassador programs, has been Better Business Bureau accredited since 1982. The company has a Satisfactory Record with the BBB. "To have a Satisfactory Record, an entity must operate for at least 12 months, properly and promptly address matters referred to it by the BBB, and be free from an unusual volume or pattern of complaints and law enforcement action invovling its marketplace conduct. In addition, the BBB must have a clear understanding of the company's business and no concerns about its industry."[12]

[edit] Criticisms of the program

The coordinator of the programs, Ambassadors Group, Inc., has been criticized by an organization called Consumer Affairs for obtaining student names through academic lists.[13]

The Iowa Office of the Attorney General recently reviewed a case in which the program's operator accidentally sent an invitation to a family's long-deceased child. To address the problem, the operator of the programs modified the invitations and presentations that relate to the "Student Ambassador" travel program. People to People also donated $20,000 to Blank Children's Hospital and $5,000 to the Iowa SIDS Foundation -- charities supported by the family of the child. According to the Iowa Attorney General's news release, the AG did not take issue with the merits of the Student Ambassador trips.[5]. In a similar situation, a dead cat (who had been deceased for 10 years) named 'Earl Grey' was accidentally invited to apply for the program.[13]

[edit] Program management

After the People to People initiative was launched by President Eisenhower, a non-profit organization called People to People International was founded by President Eisenhower's friend, Joyce Hall, and Walt Disney, among others[6]. People to People International has granted a non-exclusive license to operate student programs under the People to People Student Ambassador Program name to Ambassadors Group, Inc. a for-profit company with the stock market symbol EPAX.[14]

People to People International is not involved with the marketing, booking, or supervision of the programs. All work overseeing the program is done by Ambassadors Group, Inc.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ambassadors Group Inc (EPAX.O) Full Description | Stocks | Reuters.com
  2. ^ GuideStar nonprofit reports and Forms 990 for donors, grantmakers and businesses
  3. ^ Ambassadors Group - American Executive - RedCoat Publishing - American Executive - RedCoat Publishing
  4. ^ PtP Student Ambassadors (Chicago 2004)
  5. ^ a b ""People to People Student Ambassador" Program Agrees to Modify Representations About How Students are "Selected" for International Travel", Iowa Attorney General, 8 June 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-05. 
  6. ^ People to People: Ambassadors or Tourists?
  7. ^ Form 10K 2006
  8. ^ Ambassadors Group - American Executive - RedCoat Publishing - American Executive - RedCoat Publishing
  9. ^ Form 10K 2006
  10. ^ Shawano Leader
  11. ^ Form 10K 2006
  12. ^ Spokane, WA: Check Out a Business or Charity
  13. ^ a b ""People to People Marketing Tactics", Consumer Affairs, 8 September 2007. Retrieved on 2006-10-05. 
  14. ^ Ambassadors Group Inc (EPAX.O) Full Description | Stocks | Reuters.com

[edit] External links