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Local Middle School Students Prepare for Student Ambassadors Trip to Europe.

A delegation of middle school students from Western North Carolina that have been selected by the People to People Student Ambassador Program to visit Western Europe this summer met at the downtown YMCA in Asheville, on Sunday March 18, to further plan their trip. The trip is scheduled to take place June 25 - July 15, 2001.

The Student Ambassadors will spend approximately three weeks learning about the government, economy, and culture of England, France, Italy, and Greece through activities such as briefings at embassies and ministries, discussions with industry and trade officials, site visits to the headquarters of international organizations, and meetings with youth clubs. Delegations will receive an overview of the cultural heritage of each country during visits to major historical sites and performances of ethnic music and dance. The delegation will travel to London, Paris, Venice, Florence, Pisa, Rome, Naples, Pompeii, the island of Corfu (Greece), Athens, and Delphi.

As part of their overseas experience, Student Ambassadors will have home visits with host families. Host families include their American guests in everyday activities, enabling the Student Ambassadors to gain a firsthand understanding of the ways people live and work in other cultures. According to Jennifer Camill, who, along with Sarah Miller, will lead this year's delegation, the homestays are usually highlights of the trip for student ambassadors. Both Ms. Camill and Ms. Miller are teachers in the City of Hendersonville schools.

Each Student Ambassador is selected on the basis of recommendations, including school references and personal interviews with members of a screening committee in their local community. Once students are accepted into the program, they prepare for their overseas project by attending orientation meetings in their own area and studying background material on the countries and organizations they will visit. This Western North Carolina delegation was delighted to receive a visit from Congressman Charles Taylor on March 18 for an overview of the work of the House of Representatives and the federal government. Asheville Mayor Leni Sitnick sent each delegation member a letter of commendation for his/her selection into the program.

Kate Leslie, one of the delegation members who will be a freshman at T. C. Roberson High School in the fall, said, "This type of trip is very different from anything you can do as a tourist. The preparation that goes into it is amazing. We are in the process of studying each country's history, their culture, language, even their food and daily living habits. It's wonderful to have the chance to be exposed to someone else's way of doing things. Just because we do things a certain way doesn't mean that everyone does them that way. For example, Greece even has a different alphabet, so it's been a little more difficult to learn even the simple words like "yes, no, please, and thank you" for that part of our trip, but it's worth it. It's a lot of fun to meet new kids from around here, too."

Young Americans have served as Student Ambassadors since 1963. As a result, many former Student Ambassadors have been inspired to pursue international careers in business, law, government service, and teaching. Alumni of the program have reported their overseas experience and the maturity and world awareness they gained provide a competitive advantage for university acceptance as well as a new appreciation for life in America. Outstanding Student Ambassadors are also eligible to apply for future service as interns.

The Student Ambassador Program is operated under the auspices of People to People International, a nonpolitical, private-sector organization founded by President Eisenhower in 1956 to further international goodwill and understanding. An international network of People to People chapters in nearly 60 American cities and 35 countries assists program administrators in arranging home stays and educational activities.

The students participating from this area include Megan Bakke, Michael Balson, Kasey Campbell, Powell Davis, Corey Denham, Natalie Fisk, Jared Flynn, Jessica Hannigan, Julie Higgins, Peggy Korth, Kate Leslie, Kerry MacPhail, Jennifer Moffitt, Kacey Mull, Lacey Presnell, Summer Ratcliffe, Connie Reed, John Rudd, Autumn Searcy, Austin Snyder, and Carly Stoneman. Students can obtain high school and university credit through participation in the program and may be eligible for grants.