People to People ambassadors get a unique look at other cultures

By Maggie White
Teens in the Newsroom

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Last summer, Andrew White, a 16-year-old junior at Valley Charter High School, spent 14 days in Japan touring museums, shrines, castles and Mt. Fuji. He tasted octopus, slept on a traditional-style futon, and bathed at a public bathhouse, called an onsen.

"I just got a letter in the mail one day inviting me to travel to Japan," Andrew said. "I had always wanted to go to Japan and the opportunity just found me."

This opportunity was provided by People to People International, a program started by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956. President Eisenhower believed that direct contact between citizens of countries on opposite sides of the world could promote peace and cultural understanding. Other early leaders of the program were Walt Disney, Bob Hope, and J.C. Hall, the founder of Hallmark Cards.

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The program, whose motto is "Peace Through Understanding," was at first only designed for adult "Citizen Ambassadors," but these days students in grades 5-12 travel the world as well. These student ambassadors can apply for the program or be nominated. There are fundraising ideas offered and different methods of payment are available.

Another student ambassador, Lauren Goldeen, an 18-year-old graduate of Modesto High School, traveled to Australia in 2004 and then to several European countries in 2005.

"I gained a better understanding that the world is quite small," said Lauren, who especially liked this program "because they offered a really good opportunity to go with people my own age."

In Australia, Lauren enjoyed snorkeling in The Great Barrier Reef, where she saw her first sea turtle. She also liked watching a televised rugby match at a party that she attended with her home-stay family. Rome and Venice were her favorite cities in Europe. "Venice is so unique ... it's all canals!"

People to People International gives more than just a guided tour. It offers an inside look at historic sites, home stays with local families, and a much greater understanding of different peoples and their cultures. This understanding starts even before students board their flights.

At monthly orientation meetings, student ambassadors are given assignments by adult group leaders to help prepare for their experiences abroad. They are asked to read books and watch movies about their host country, find and share current events articles, and learn and present historical facts to each other. These meetings also help them to get to know the other students with whom they will travel.

Besides traveling, student ambassadors in this area are welcome to take part in the People to People International Central Valley Student Chapter, which performs charitable acts year-round by helping in the local community and abroad. Elly Washington, adult advisor for the chapter, said that the group, among other things, paints world maps on elementary school playgrounds to promote geographic literacy, raises funds to support a girls' school in India and to eradicate landmines in Cambodia, and collects supplies for Operation Iraqi Children.

The chapter, which was founded in 2003, also provides scholarships to student ambassadors for travel and offers school community service credit for participation.

So, what did Andrew gain from his travels in Japan? "Cultural understanding," he said. In fact, he still keeps in touch with the family he stayed with in Gifu for three days during his trip. He also stays in touch with many of his fellow student ambassadors, with whom he now has a unique bond.

Because of his experience in Japan last year, Andrew wanted to travel with People to People again. This summer his destination is China, where he will visit The Great Wall, watch Shaolin monks demonstrate kung fu, see the terra cotta soldiers, and have another home stay.

Christine Langford, a 16-year-old junior at Ripon High, had a different destination. She traveled to Australia in 2007. One highlight of the trip was spending time with Aboriginal people and playing soccer with their children. About eating cooked kangaroo, she said, "I had to really step outside of my comfort zone." She thought that it tasted like chicken.

Christine is the Central Valley Student Chapter's secretary and co-historian. "I recommend People to People for anyone who wants to get involved with community service," she said.

Maggie White is an incoming freshman at Valley Charter High School and a member of The Bee's Teens in the Newsroom journalism program.