THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 26, 1995 TAG: 9502240148
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
``If people get together, so eventually will nations.''
Dwight D. Eisenhower
founder of People to People
A GROUP of high achieving Chesapeake youngsters want to get together with kids their own age Down Under, but they need help.
Nine Chesapeake middle school youngsters were selected to be part of a 40-member Virginia delegation in the People to People Student Ambassador Program.
In the program, founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, American students and their peers from other countries meet and share ideas for peace and friendship. Over the years it has been chaired by presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush and President Clinton.
This year the group will travel to Australia and New Zealand.
There, the students will stay in homes and visit schools where they will explain our country to young people while finding out how Australians and New Zealanders live, work, study and think.
But the Chesapeake students need the help of area organizations, businesses and individuals to help them finance their trip.
Each student must raise at least $4,000 to be able to participate in the trip, which begins in June, the day after school lets out.
All of the youngsters are currently busy seeking sponsors and trying to raise the funds themselves by baby-sitting, doing yard work, walking dogs, cleaning houses and engaging in other part-time odd jobs.
Chesapeake's delegation consists of Terry M. Black, Crestwood Middle School; Samantha R. Briggs, Great Bridge Middle School North; Aja T. Charity, Indian River Middle School; Aaron L. Clark, Deep Creek Middle School; Melody L. Faulkenberry, Great Bridge Middle School North; Melissa R. Hood, Crestwood Middle School; J. Travis Jenkins, Great Bridge Middle School; LaQuisha B. Long, Indian River Middle School; and Heidi L. Schmitt, Greenbrier Christian Academy.
All nine students were selected based on their individual academic records, extra-curricular activities and maturity, said Nancy Lee Kent, who heads the Hampton Roads delegation.
Kent said the students are nominated or recommended to a local/regional committee by either a friend, peer, guidance counselor, teacher or concerned adult. In addition, the program's national headquarters in Washington state also keep tabs on the country's high- achiever students, those mature youngsters who score well on national standardized tests, achieve honor roll grades or are involved in specialized programs.
Each student has to be nominated, make a formal application after nomination and then undergo a screening process that includes an individual interview.
``We take youngsters that are good in academics, mature for their age and have well-rounded activities and interests,'' Kent said.
The students will be able to earn high school credits from the 22-day trip, Kent added.
According to the People to People itinerary, the students will travel to Auckland and North Island in New Zealand and then go on to Australia where they will visit the cities of Sydney and Brisbane along with the Great Barrier Reef.
In fact, the Lynnhaven Dive Center of Virginia Beach is helping to sponsor the group in part so the youngsters will have the opportunity and know-how to scuba dive and explore the famed Great Barrier Reef. Organizers of the trip are now challenging other area businesses to offer the same kind help and support to the Hampton Roads delegation.
Upon return, the nine will also report on their trip to their sponsors, schools and community through speaking engagements, articles, reports or special programs.``If people get together, so eventually will nations.'' MEMO: To make a financial contribution send a check payable to ``People to
People'' c/o Nancy Kent, Tabb Elementary School, 3711 Big Bethel Road,
Yorktown, Va., 23693-3813.
ILLUSTRATION: Nine Chesapeake middle school youngsters are part of the People
to People Student Ambassador Program. They are, left to right, back
row: Samantha Briggs, Melody Faulkenberry, Heidi Schmitt, LaQuisha
Long and Aaron Clark. Front row: Melissa Hood, Travis Jankins, Terry
Black and Aja Charity. The group will travel to Australia and New
Zealand.
by CNB