ACTION WOW WO AWW AWW DDD DFE Student Ambassadors Spread Message Of Peace (NAPSA)—A number of students interested in peace and goodwill have taken a smart approach to changing the world: They’ve decidedto seeit first. Today, there are nearly 30,000 American Student Ambassadors, made up of children and teens in 5th through 11th grades. The students travel on more than 950 Student Ambassador journeys to 408 cities, in 40 countries, on all seven continents. They’re members of the People to People Student Ambassador Program,originally established in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. While politics, travel and fashion have changed over the decades, the mission of the program hasn’t changed from President Eisenhower’s original vision: to foster “peace through understanding.” “T'd been studying the history of Australia and was so intrigued by the people and cultures of the country,” said Jonathan Riggle, age 13, from Mercersburg, Pa., who traveled on the Australian Discovery journey in June. “It was amazing to see these places, taste the food and meet the Aboriginal people of Australia.” To date, nearly 250,000 students have traveled the world on People to People journeys, enjoying unique access to people and places that many other travel experiences generally don’t provide. From rappelling down castle walls in Scotland, to visiting Anne Frank’s house in Amsterdam, to meeting world leaders in f | Nye oO e! Mary Eisenhower and a group of delegates visit Assisi, Italy, where she received the prestigious Knight for Peace award from the International Center for Peace in recognition of the People to People Student Ambassador Program. that have included both England’s Queen Elizabeth and former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, Student Ambassadors broaden their personal horizons while learning what it means to be a global citizen. “It’s so gratifying to see Granddad’s original vision thriving,” said Mary Eisenhower, CEO of People to People International, the nongovernmental organization that entrusts People to People Ambassador Programs to carry on its mission via student travel programs. “Each year, new international ties are created, as lifelong friendships are forged between students aroundtheglobe. It truly makes the ultimate goal of world peace seem like a real possibility.” To learn more about the program or find out how to apply or nominate a student, visit www.studentambassadors.org.
