SPOKANE, Wash., Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- People to People
Ambassador Programs, the world leader in global educational
travel experiences, today announced that the company successfully
beat last year's record of 140,000 service hours by more than 80
percent. Approximately 253,000 hours of community service
were completed by Student Ambassadors this summer, with projects
completed domestically as they prepared for international programs,
and internationally to learn and experience different cultures
abroad. This year's service projects gave student
participants experience ranging from aiding Australian scientists
with dolphin research to constructing children's playgrounds in
Germany and more.
"Community service along with cultural immersion opportunities
are integral components of our programs and should be important
parts of each of our lives," said Peg
Thomas, president of People to People Ambassador Programs.
"As students work to help people in another country, they not only
provide a benefit to the local community, but also experience their
own power to truly make a difference in the world."
This summer, nearly 18,000 service hours were completed during a
week-long People to People Leadership Summit to mark the fifth
anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Students on this intensive
service program helped repair and refresh schools, homes, gardens,
and community centers in the New
Orleans area. Participants came to the aid of organizations
like Habitat for Humanity, Beacon of Hope, New Orleans Outreach,
and Hands On New Orleans. In many cases, students worked directly
with victims of the storm to hear firsthand residents' stories of
perseverance and courage.
This summer's education-themed community-service projects were
designed to allow students to either help provide better education
to the disadvantaged or educate a community about a common concern.
Highlights include:
Domestic examples:
- Mid-Atlantic Gleaning Network – Harvested fruits and vegetables
and studied how Maryland
communities are feeding the hungry through local farms
- Civic Works, Baltimore –
Painted murals to enhance a school in a low-income community
- Lowell Wish Project, Boston
Area – Sorted donations and filled orders to help families
meet needs and avoid losing their homes
- Heal the Bay, Santa Monica,
Calif. – Picked up trash and collected data to help stop
further beach pollution
International examples:
- Greece – Worked with the
Archelon Association to tag, monitor, and clean areas protected for
the endangered loggerhead turtle
- Italy – Delivered games and
toys and spent quality time with children in the SOS Villages who
have been removed from their families due to difficult
circumstances
- Australia – Replanted native
trees in Kuranda's World Heritage rainforest
- China – Assisted local
residents in harvesting tree fruit and learned about their communal
way of life
- New Zealand – Pitched in at
Auckland food banks and learned
about the people relying on their services
About People to People Ambassador Programs
People to People Ambassador Programs is the world's most
recognized and respected educational travel provider. Since 1963,
more than 400,000 people from around the world have traveled with
People to People Ambassador Programs to help further global
understanding through cross-cultural exchange. Offering unmatched
safety measures and unparalleled access to foreign cultures and
countries, People to People Ambassador Programs promotes personal
success in a globalized world and fosters international friendships
for both students and professional adults.
People to People Ambassador Programs is the exclusive
educational travel provider of People to People International
(PTPI), a nonprofit organization founded in 1956 by President
Dwight D. Eisenhower to promote
peace through understanding worldwide. Together, PTPI and People to
People Ambassador Programs are united in a mission to bridge
cultural and political borders through education and exchange. For
more information, please visit www.peopletopeople.com.
About Ambassadors Group
Ambassadors Group Inc. (Nasdaq: EPAX) is a socially conscious,
education company headquartered in Spokane, Wash. Ambassadors Group is the parent
company of Ambassador Programs Inc. (which administrates People to
People Ambassador Programs), World Adventures Unlimited, and
BookRags, 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
Copyright . 11 PR Newswire