Community Corner
People to People Forms Interpersonal, International Bonds
The student ambassador program seeks to give students an international perspective.
Plainview students and their parents came out in force this week at the to explore People to People, a national, student ambassador program.
The group, which held its first local meeting Thursday night, is focused on increasing awareness of international politics by encouraging immersion into foreign culture. People to People brings children and adults to various countries to study first hand the inner-workings of different cultures.
About 60 students eager to learn about the day-to-day culture of foreign peoples, gathered Thursday in the library’s multi-tier auditorium to learn the fundamentals of the program.
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From learning about passports and visas to basic navigation of the People to People website, students are quickly made familiar with the homework assignments they will be given, as well as the cumulative exams they are required to ace. People to People personnel form parents into “committees,” led by chairs who focus on and organize everything from “phone trees” to social gatherings.
“We like to get everyone involved, including parents,” said Ellen Bernstein, People to People representative. “Ultimately, it’s safety first. We want to make sure that everyone is safe and that parents are comfortable so that they’re able to learn as much as possible.
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"When traveling, the group brings along an elected official with student groups, because “an elected official has experience representing people, so who better to teach students how to represent their country in a foreign land,” Bernstein said.
This year's focus is on European travel, with trips planned to France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the past, the organization has sponsored trips to Argentina, China and countries on the African continent and 40 countries.
Participants pay a portion of their travel expenses but officials could not provide specific figures for the upcoming trips.
People to People is accepting both students and adults. The program is run for sport, student, leadership and professional candidates and seeks to encourage participants to learn about the world through firsthand experience.
