SPOKANE, Wash., April 7 /PRNewswire/ -- People to People
Ambassador Programs, the leader in global educational travel
experiences, marks the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina this
summer with a new travel program called "Leadership Summit:
Remembering Hurricane Katrina," which actively engages participants
in community service projects throughout New Orleans and sheds light on the region's
rebuilding efforts. In addition to the travel program, the
company has launched an online campaign, remembernola.com.
The campaign calls on people to remember Hurricane Katrina
and take immediate action to provide support with the ongoing
recovery efforts in New
Orleans.
Taking place in New Orleans
from June 28 – July 6, 2010, "Remembering Hurricane Katrina" is
part of People to People's premier Leadership Programs that teach
students in grades five through twelve important skills through
workshops, community service projects and discussions with
well-respected authorities on service and leadership.
Stemming from People to People's strong commitment to
community service; the travel program and campaign were developed
to commemorate the upcoming fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina
and are a direct response to the need for additional recovery
assistance in the city of New
Orleans. The company's launch of remembernola.com, an
online campaign, includes a video highlighting the current state of
New Orleans, photos and a call to
action for people to download the NOLA Badge – a renewed symbol of
Hurricane Katrina – and vote for a local charity organization to
receive a $50,000 donation gift at
the end of the campaign.
"We forget that Hurricane Katrina put 80 percent of New Orleans under water, killed more than
1,600 people, destroyed 200,000 Gulf Coast homes and displaced
nearly one million people," said Peg
Thomas, president of People to People Ambassador Programs.
"Our travel program and online campaign serve as a call to
action for all of us to participate in the rebuilding efforts and
never forget about the people of New
Orleans."
People to People Ambassador Programs is encouraging everyone to
visit remembernola.com, share the website with friends and family,
download the NOLA Badge and vote for one of the five New Orleans charities featured on the site:
Common Ground Relief, Make it Right, Afterschool Partnership,
Save our Schools and Tulane University
Community Health Center. For every NOLA Badge downloaded,
People to People will donate $1; with
the goal of making a $50,000 donation
to the charity that receives the most online votes.
"We lived through the devastating events of Hurricane Katrina,
and our city has come a long way since then," said Stephen Waddell, Area Director for People to
People Ambassador Programs in New
Orleans. "But there's so much left to be done.
Statistics show that 36 percent of New
Orleans' homes remain empty, and public buildings like
schools and hospitals are still in dire need of rebuilding or
repair."
The "Remembering Hurricane Katrina" summer travel program will
include talks from Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and his brother; New York Giants
quarterback Eli Manning – both
New Orleans natives.
Additional speakers include former Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice and award-winning
film director Spike Lee, who created
the Katrina documentary When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four
Acts. The program has also invited other notable guest
speakers who will provide first-hand accounts of Hurricane Katrina,
highlight the lessons learned, give an update on the rebuilding
efforts in New Orleans and
underscore how all of us can give something back to our own
communities and make a difference in the lives of others.
Participants in the week-long "Remembering Katrina Program" will
have the opportunity to give back to the city of New Orleans first-hand via two major
large-scale community service projects: one is a home
rebuilding effort with Habitat for Humanity®, an international
non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating substandard
housing and homelessness worldwide, and the other is a variety of
school rebuilding and repair projects throughout New Orleans with HandsOn New Orleans, an independent local
affiliate of the Points of Light Institute that serves the needs of
the local community.
Students and adults interested in learning more about
Remembering Hurricane Katrina can visit
www.peopletopeople.com/katrina or remembernola.com. For
additional information about People to People Ambassador Programs
visit www.peopletopeople.com or call 877-787-2000.
About People to People Ambassador Programs
People to People Ambassador Programs is the most recognized and
respected educational travel provider and has provided more than
400,000 citizens of the world the opportunity to promote peace
through understanding. The Ambassador Programs include Citizen,
Student, Sports and Leadership to promote international and
domestic programs for professionals, students, athletes, and the
leaders of tomorrow.
Participation in a program contributes directly to personal
success in a globalized world and fosters international
friendships. Our hands on, unique, educational travel programs
provide access to people and places beyond compare, and combine
unique cultural experiences with
personal interaction to create global impact.
For nearly 50 years, People to People Ambassador Programs has
helped participants travel to seven continents while maintaining an
extraordinary track record of travel safety. Our safety record is
the result of many factors, including a reliance on federal
guidelines, the strength and experience of our leaders, our
organization's expertise and experience in program destination
countries, a vast global network of resources and team members, and
a sincere commitment to the wellbeing of our Ambassadors and their
families. For more information, visit www.peopletopeople.com.
The Ambassador Programs serve as the exclusive educational
travel provider of People to People International (PTPI), the
nonprofit, Kansas City-based
organization founded by President Dwight D.
Eisenhower to promote peace through understanding worldwide.
PTPI and Ambassadors Group are united in their mission of bridging
cultural and political borders through education and exchange.
About Ambassadors Group
Ambassadors Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: EPAX) is a socially conscious,
education company located in Spokane,
Washington. Ambassadors Group is the parent company of
People to People Ambassador Programs, World Adventures Unlimited,
and Book Rags, an educational research website. The company also
oversees the Washington School of World Studies, an accredited
travel study and distance learning school. Additional information
about Ambassadors Group and its subsidiaries is available at
www.ambassadorsgroup.com.
SOURCE People to People Ambassador Programs