DU'ers help: People to People Student Ambassador Program

[madmax]

Anyone have any personal experience or knowledge about this program. My son received a letter stating my grandson was 'selected' to participate in a two week trip to Italy and Greece next summer. He's very smart but, I wouldn't call him 'gifted'. He's 10 years old and starting 5th grade - I think. It's been a rough month ;)

The thing is my son has been battling cancer, they almost lost their house, and my daughter in law is the only one working. This trip would cost 5k for 2 weeks which I think is a bit much. According to their website, chaperone's only pay for passport fees and bring spending money. I guess that's why it costs so much per student, they're paying the chaperone's expenses.

http://www.studentambassadors.org/teacher-leaders-leader-faq-main-page.asp

Is this a worthwhile program? Hell, I can take him and his sister to Italy and Greece for that much.

http://www.studentambassadors.org/

[bicentennial_baby]

1. My brother was a Student Ambassador

when he was 14. He went to Australia and New Zealand. He had the time of his life, and I think it was a really great experience for him overall.

[madmax]

2. I was afraid of this

Well I have a year to save up. :banghead:

[bicentennial_baby]

4. Yeah, it was a strain on my parents at the time

but they felt it was worth it. He still talks about that trip, almost 10 years later. I saw a ton of People to People kids recently, they were on my flight to Paris. :)

[madmax]

I'm just wondering how much

a 10 year old is going to appreciate it and remember. I took him to the shore this year and the first night we were there he started crying and wanted to talk to his Mom. :think:

[ScreamingMeemie]

3. PM PassingFair. Her daughter received something about it a couple

of years ago and she looked into it. I will keep your son in my thoughts...hope he is well soon.

[madmax]

5. Thanks love

I appreciate it. As Gilda said, 'It's always something'.

[PassingFair]

7. Ha ha ha ha....

see saga below....

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. Hahahahahaha...say the secret word and the PassingFair will come

down.

Hello, darling!!! :hug: Sorry I was sleepy in the driveway.

[madmax]

10. Sleepy in the driveway?

I won't ask. :rofl:

[ScreamingMeemie]

13. You make me laugh...I make you laugh....even trade.

;) Even though you didn't ask...PassingFair is not only my best friend in the universe and beyond, support system etal...she is also a neighbor around the corner. She was driving behind me, and in my sleepiness, I didn't see her, and we narrowly avoided an accident and then had a brief catch up chat in the drive...since we both have to work now. :cry: I miss my days of coffee at the table in our jammies. :(

[madmax]

14. LOL

You guys sound like so much fun. :grouphug: I'd want to hang out and have coffee in my jammies with both of you. ;)

[PassingFair]

16. I'm TRYING to put the girls to bed...

but they won't go to bed til "70's House" is over!

[ScreamingMeemie]

17. Ooooh, somebody is going to have bags under her eyes for pictures.

;) Mine just went to bed...grumbling about school. "70's House" is actually kind of fun. I like the Roller Disco one. :hi:

[PassingFair]

18. All is well in their world!

Surferboy Cory remains on the show.
Widely despised Linda is eliminated....now for the tucking in...adieu!

[ScreamingMeemie]

19. nighty night!!!!

:hi:

[PassingFair]

6. My daughter has been "selected" a couple times as well...

The first time, I really couldn't scratch together the 6 grand to send her to Australia with the group. The second time, the trip was set for Great Britain, and since we've been there a few times already, I couldn't see dishing out the money for THAT.

Students are recommended by teachers or counselors.

That said, my bosses' kid just came back from said People to People trip to England. The trip was 21 days and VERY comprehensive. It cost her 5 thousand, which her daughter was supposed to fund raise. They were able to fund raise about half of it.

She had a WONDERFUL time, and it was very informative and educational, but they didn't actually act as DIPLOMATS or anything. They were well chaperoned and were able to see many places (parliament, etc.) that the average tourist can't get into.

A totally positive experience for the child! Although her mom is still paying for it....

I told my daughter that we had been "invited" to spend 6 thousand that we DEFINITELY didn't have at that time. If I had had that kind of money just laying around, I wouldn't have hesitated to send her, but I don't, and we didn't.

[madmax]

9. Hey PassingFair

Glad you posted! I can see this is going to be a very rough year for me $$ wise. I was really, really hoping that someone would have negative feedback. :evilgrin:

[ScreamingMeemie]

11. Hahahahaha....

:rofl: hoping for negative feedback. madmax..you made my evening.


And if PassingFair says it, I know it to be true. :puffpiece:

[PassingFair]

15. I can ALWAYS be counted on for

...negative feedback! It's a character trait with me!

[madmax]

12. If anyone has anything negative to add

please post.:P Now to break the news to my husband. :scared:

[Obamarama]

20. Here's my two cents worth:

I think it's a good program, but I think the age is too young to be going overseas on a cultural exchange. The daughter of a very good friend of mine went to Australia on P2P this summer. She said the program was well run, everything went off without a hitch. In retrospect, though, she said she thought 11 years was a little young for them to really appreciate the whole cultural thing.

I also think 5K for two weeks in Italy is ridiculously expensive. My partner and I were in Italy for 12 days last year and it ran about $4,800 for the TWO of us.

I would advise saving the clams (especially since they recently had a financial glitch) and waiting till their son is in high school and send him on a summer-long exchange through a program like Youth for Understanding.

[madmax]

22. That's what I was thinking

besides money being tight right now is that he's so young. Thank you for your input, I sincerely appreciate it.

[Tikki]

21. We were on a flight from Dallas to LA with....

..about two dozen of these young people.

They were headed to New Zealand for about two weeks.

I came away from the conversation I had with a fifteen year old girl... feeling like: she knew that she was going as an award for having decent grades, upper middle-class parents and family friends in prominent enough places that their recommendations counted....

She did seem enthusiastic about the chance at the experience....



Tikki

[madmax]

23. My niece went on a trip like this

2 or 3 years ago - she was 15. I think he would benefit more from the experience if he were a little older.

And to think when I was a kid camping out for a weekend with the Girl Scouts at our local park was a big deal. Wow, things change.

[WildEyedLiberal]

24. I went on a People to People trip

It was a $4500 3-week trip to the Continent - Paris, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy. We saw a ton of stuff and spent four days living with a family in a small Austrian village, getting to experience the local culture. Saw pretty much all the requisite historical/cultural stuff, as we went to Paris, Lucerne, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Vienna, Venice, Pisa, Florence, and Rome, as well as a few smaller towns. I LOVED it because I loved seeing Europe - I am a history buff and always have been. However, I was 17, and I don't recommend sending a 10 year old on this kind of trip. Honestly, I think someone in high school would get a lot more out of it. And the only real downside to my trip was that most of the kids I went with were whiny and spoiled and spent more time forming cliques and stupid shit like that than actually enjoying the culture. So my ratings: Europe/sightseeing: A+ Fellow kids on trip: Varies on the actual kids, of course, but my group rates a C- Value for money: B Recommended age: 16 or over, IMO.

Hope this helps! :hi:

[madmax]

25. Thanks Wild

I appreciate your input and personal experience. We're going to try to convince my daughter in law that perhaps he would get more from a trip like this if we wait til he's a little older.

I've taken him to the shore for a weekend and he got weepy for his Mom so... Thanks again. :hug:

[cally]

26. I've travelled with my kids from a young age

They remember little from the trips when they were that age. They remember the highlights but not the educational parts. A program like this seems to make more sense for a teen. My .02

[WildEyedLiberal]

27. No problem

And BTW - one night on my trip, I got a little weepy missing my mom- and I was 17. So yeah, I'd definitely recommend waiting until the kid's older so he won't worry as much about being away from home, and so he can get more out of the historical and cultural aspect of it.

[bugslsu9]

28. I went also

I went to Australia and NZ in 1996, wow, thats almost ten years ago. Anyways, it was a trip I will always remember. I would have to agree with all of those people above and say it was extremely well organized and chaperoned. They even had the foresight to get hotel rooms for us in LA during the 12 hour layover. That gave us one last opportunity to spend time with the people we had gotten to know the three previous weeks.

To this day, when I think about meeting my parents at General Mitchel International Airport in Milwaukee, and leaving the group, I get sad. We had an absolutely wonderful time.