EF Educational Tours Selects 2013 Global Citizen Scholars

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- EF Educational Tours, the world leader in international education and student travel, today announced the recipients of the 2013 EF Global Citizen Scholarship program, which is designed to unite high school students from around the world by breaking down barriers of culture, language and geography, while helping students develop global awareness, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

"The 2013 class of Global Citizen Scholars is an impressive group of high school students from across the U.S. and Canada who represent the next generation of global leaders," said Shane Steffens, President of EF Educational Tours U.S.

In celebration of Earth Day and the 2013 National Environmental Education Week, this year's Global Citizen Scholars will travel to Costa Rica on a ten-day immersive, educational tour to experience Costa Rica's rich and diverse eco-systems while studying the country's successful environmental policy initiatives. The trip culminates in a two-day leadership summit where students from the U.S., Canada and Costa Rica will collaborate to design potential solutions to key environmental issues, and hear keynote speeches from former Vice President Al Gore, former Costa Rican President Dr. Oscar Arias and noted environmental advocate Severn Cullis-Suzuki.

"Each scholar has a unique passion for the environment. They recognize the local implications of critical global issues, and they're prepared to apply what they learn at the Global Student Leaders Summit to the environmental issues facing them in their own local communities," said David Conklin, President of EF Educational Tours Canada. 

Criteria for the 2013 Global Citizen Scholarship included a video or essay submission, addressing the global implications of an environmental issue and providing ideas to solve it. After receiving hundreds of submissions from across the U.S. and Canada, a panel of global education experts selected the scholars through a series of assessments and interviews, judging the students on creativity, inventive ideas and their demonstration of global citizenship.

EF is pleased to announce the following 2013 Global Citizen Scholarship recipients:

• Lena Blackmon of Vail, Ariz., is a sophomore at University High School
• Kristin Caddick of Gastonia, N.C., is a junior at Gaston Day School
• Valli Chidambaram of Rockville, Md., is a junior at Poolesville High School
• Brandon Collier of St. John's, Newfoundland, is a senior at Holy Heart of Mary High School
• Calvin Dretske of Winona, Minn., is a junior at Winona Senior High School
• Marianne Goudreault of Rosemere, Quebec, is a senior at Externat Sacre-Coeur
• Keara Graham of Langley, British Columbia, is a senior at Walnut Grove Secondary School
• Sabrina Guzman Skotnitsky of Vancouver, British Columbia, is a sophomore at Lord Byng Secondary School
• Bochen Han of Burlington, Ontario, is a senior at Robert Bateman High School
• Remington Hill of Villanova, Pa., is a freshman at Harriton Senior High School
• Paige Kellner of Dundas, Ontario, is a senior at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School
• Alana Krug-MacLeod of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is a sophomore at Aden Bowman Collegiate Institute
• Sarah Mason of Guelph, Ontario, is a sophomore at Centennial Collegiate Vocational Institute
• Shirley Miao of Toronto, Ontario, is a senior at Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute
• Emma Miller of Puyallup, Wash., is a junior at Puyallup High School
• Alexandra Molina of Covina, Calif., is a sophomore at Saint Lucy's Priory High School
• Brandon Muschlitz of Gahanna, Ohio, is a senior at Gahanna Lincoln High School
• Erikka Olson of Mount Vernon, Wash., is a sophomore at Burlington Edison High School
• Alexandra Pipe of Ottawa, Ontario, is a junior at Elmwood School
• Noelle Rutland of St. Petersburg, Fla., is a senior at St. Petersburg High School

For more information on the EF Global Citizen Scholarship, visit eftours.com/globalcitizen or check out the Global Citizen Facebook page to see the U.S. scholars' video and essay submissions. For more information on the Canadian recipients of the EF Global Citizen Scholarship, visit www.eftours.ca/globalcitizen.

About EF Educational Tours:

EF Educational Tours is a pioneer in experiential learning, leading students abroad to encounter new cultures and languages firsthand. Its goal is to make international travel accessible to as many students as possible. EF is the first international tour company to be accredited by six prestigious accrediting agencies, and its tours meet the same rigorous educational standards as the best schools across the country. EF is affiliated with key educational organizations, including the Advanced Placement Program of the College Board, International Baccalaureate Organization, the Smithsonian Institute, and the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills.

EF Educational Tours is part of EF Education First, the world leader in international education. For nearly half a century EF has worked toward its mission of breaking down barriers of language, culture and geography. EF's North American headquarters are in Cambridge, Mass., though the company spans the globe with more than 400 hundred offices and schools in 55 countries and a staff of more than 34,000. For more information, visit eftours.com.

U.S. Media Contact:      
Shawna Sullivan
(978) 273-8478
[email protected]

Canada Media Contact:
Susanna Dawson
(647) 259-1417
[email protected]

SOURCE EF Educational Tours