SPOKANE, Wash., April 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --People to People Ambassador Programs, the leader in global educational travel experiences, Admissions department reports most students are paying their travel tuition in part or full in 2013 with fundraising, some with ideas so innovative that they succeed as real-life businesses.
"We have seen an explosion of innovative, creative and smart mini-businesses created and run by students to raise their tuition," said Sherra Eutsler, Tuition Support Coordinator for People to People Ambassador Programs. "People to People has enhanced our 'Pay Your Way' support guide for student travelers to create more awareness that students can raise money and own the responsibility for their travel experience."
People to People estimates more than $35 million dollars will be raised in 2013 alone by Student Ambassadors traveling on one of the more than 400 delegations offered by the nation's premiere educational travel provider, and it's not just about bake sales and car washes.
"Student Ambassadors tend to develop a real sense of accomplishment as they reach out to their community with their funding efforts," said Kristen Koob, South Dakota Teacher Leader for People to People Ambassador Programs. "In the beginning the goal might appear overwhelming, but as they startreceiving support from friends, family and the community they begin building a sense of pride in themselves as theyreach theirgoal. A goalthat at one time seemed impossible."
Ambassador Bottle Caps, LLC is a company that started as a fundraising tool for 12 year old Elizabeth Lester to earn her trip to Italy, France, Austria and Switzerland in 2009. The demand for her Bottle Cap jewelry was so great that Elizabeth and her mother, Ruth, applied for a business license and continue to sell jewelry well after her first trip abroad with People to People.
"Funding my program with my jewelry gave me new skills and will continue to be useful in many aspects of my life," said Lester. "I couldn't have imagined that the product would be so successful and that it would also pay for my younger brother to go on a trip with People to People."
Cailey Frasier from Roseburg, OR raised more than $20,000 organizing a dinner and auction where she sold items donated from the local community that included handmade toy boxes, spa packages and her own four wheeled ATV. The money is being used to fund her third trip with People to People and other community activities.
Logan Ward from Sleidell, LA became a local news and YouTube icon when word got out about his cattle auction, with the goal of raising $10,000, by selling raffle tickets to win a cow. Currently, donations for the raffle have exceeded $50,000 dollars and Ward is considering donating the extra funds to students in need.
Fellow Louisiana resident and middle school Student Ambassador Makaylin Armer is collaborating with singer and songwriter Taylor Mathews for a benefit concert to raise money for herself and her fellow delegate traveling to Italy, Austria, France and Switzerland this summer. The concert is scheduled for Friday, May 24, 2013 at the Coughlin-Saunders Performing Arts Center in Alexandria Louisiana.
Students from all 50 states are slated to travel to more than 40 countries this summer on People to People Ambassador Programs that will enhance their cultural intelligence. In addition to providing students with fundraising mechanisms, People to People Ambassador Programs and the Ambassador's Foundation have pledged to giveaway more than $1 million dollars in scholarships and tuition credits for the 2013 travel season.
For more information visit: http://www.p2ppayyourway.com/
About People to People Ambassador Programs
People to People Ambassador Programs is the world's most recognized student educational travel provider. Since the 1960s, more than 500,000 people from around the world have traveled with People to People Ambassador Programs to help further global understanding through cross-cultural exchange. Offering unmatched safety measures and unparalleled access to foreign cultures and countries, People to People Ambassador Programs promotes personal success in a globalized world and fosters international friendships for both students and professional adults.
People to People Ambassador Programs is the exclusive educational travel provider of People to People International (PTPI), a nonprofit organization founded in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to promote peace through understanding worldwide. Together, PTPI and People to People Ambassador Programs are united in a mission to bridge cultural and political borders through education and exchange. For more information, please visit www.peopletopeople.com.
About Ambassadors Group
Ambassadors Group Inc. (NASDAQ: EPAX) is an education company located in Spokane, Washington. Ambassadors Group, Inc. is the parent company of Ambassador Programs, Inc., World Adventures Unlimited, Inc., and BookRags, Inc., an educational research website. The Company also oversees the Washington School of World Studies, an accredited travel study and distance learning school. Additional information about Ambassadors Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries is available at www.ambassadorsgroup.com. In this press release, "Company", "we", "us", and "our" refer to Ambassadors Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
SOURCE People to People Ambassador Programs
