Student Ambassadors To Travel Abroad To Australia

A delegation of young elementary and middle school students from Sandy Hook, Newtown, Fairfield, Stevenson, Trumbull, Westport, Bethel, Monroe, Wilton, Bridgeport, Redding, New Fairfield, and Danbury has been selected by the People-To-People Student Ambassadors Program to visit Australia this summer.

Three students from the Reed Intermediate School are participating this year. They are fifth graders Tara Rotas and Kaitlyn Appley, and sixth grader Madeleine Gagne.

The student ambassadors will spend two weeks learning about the government, economy, and culture of the country through activities such as briefing at embassies and ministries, discussions with industry and trade officials, site visits to schools, 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 and cultural sites.

As part of their overseas experience, student ambassadors will lodge in hotels.

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 monthly orientation meetings in their own area and studying background material on the country and organizations they will visit.

Student ambassadors must complete a community service project.

This year, the students completed a DVD collection drive for the Whittingham Cancer Center at the Norwalk Hospital. DVD donations were received by Jo-Ann Rivera, registered nurse at the Cancer Treatment Center. The patients will appreciate being able to watch many different movies while receiving chemotherapy treatments, which can last from one-half to four hours long per session.

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 that 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 increase international goodwill and understanding. An international network of People-To-People chapters in nearly 60 American cities and 35 countries assists program administrators and educational activities.

Students can obtain high school and university credit through participation in the program and may be eligible for grants.

For more information about the People-To-People Student Ambassadors Program log on to studentambassadors.org.