People to People Ambassador Programs and Spokane Public Schools announce winners of the "I Have a Dream" international educational travel contest

SPOKANE, Wash., March 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- People to People Ambassador Programs, the leader in global educational travel experiences, in collaboration with Spokane Public Schools, announced the winners of the Inland Northwest "I Have a Dream" video contest. The winning students have the opportunity to travel on an international educational travel program of their choice including popular programs like the Costa Rica Expedition and European Odyssey.

The winners are Logan Stinebaugh, a junior from Lakeside High School, and Ayesha Bergman, an 8^th grader from Garry Middle School. Logan is an honor roll student with various community service experience while Ayesha is a member of the National Honor Society and also on her school's basketball and volleyball teams.

The contest required that students submit a video of up to 60 seconds that incorporates the phrase "I Have a Dream," along with reasons they wish to experience global citizenship and international travel as a People to People delegate.  Submissions were collected from area students between January 7 and February 14, 2014. 

The winners were informed by representatives of People to People and Spokane Public Schools with a surprise "in-classroom" award ceremony. 

"I heard that Spokane has 600 refugees and I would like to be able to do my part to help them become part of our community," said Stinebaugh. "I have spent my life building my IQ and this a way for me to build my CQ and become a better global citizen."

"I want to send the message that everyone has a dream and I want to fulfill mine. I want to see the world and new places - it's important to build character and be a global citizen," said Bergman.

Leading the committee and serving as spokesperson for the "I Have a Dream" contest, themed around Martin Luther King Day, was the 2013 National Teacher of the Year Jeff Charbonneau.  Charbonneau is a science and engineering teacher from Zillah, Washington.  Charbonneau recently traveled with People to People on a cultural and professional exchange mission to Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai, China where he spent time visiting local schools and meeting with educators to discuss the similarities and differences of the Chinese school system.

"The creativity and ingenuity of the video submissions was truly inspiring," said Charbonneau. "Choosing winners is always difficult but I am very excited that the winners now have the opportunity for global travel and building their cultural awareness much like I had last year with People to People."

People to People has more than 180 employees in the Spokane area and sees this contest as an opportunity to directly connect with local families by bringing awareness to the importance of being both a global citizen and community neighbor.

"We are very excited to add Logan and Ayesha to the People to People Ambassador Programs list of Summer 2014 delegates," said Bryan Fix, Vice President of Human Resources for the People to People Ambassador Programs.  "Engaging with the local community with similar opportunities around our mission of creating global ready children is going to be an ongoing effort in our community engagement program.  We are delighted with the warm reception we received from the students and our partner, the Spokane Public Schools."

The selection committee evaluating the contest included Charbonneau, Bryan Fix from the People to People Ambassador Programs and Gary Stokes, Executive Director of KSP Television.

About People to People Ambassador Programs

People to People Ambassador Programs is the world's most recognized 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 a socially conscious 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.

About Spokane Public Schools

Spokane Public Schools is the largest school district in eastern Washington and the second largest in the state with over 28,500 students. The launch of the recent T-2-4 initiative has increased the academic rigor of the district with a goal of preparing all students for either a Technical, 2-Year, or 4-Year degree or certification upon graduation. The school district is fortunate to have consistent community financial and volunteer support, including dozens of partnerships with businesses and non-profit organizations in the region. The citizens of the district have consistently passed local levies to keep curriculum strong and bonds to keep the district on a path to modernize or replace all 34 elementary schools, 6 middle schools, 6 high schools and 6 alternative schools as part of a 25 year long-range plan.

About Jeff Charbonneau

Jeff Charbonneau is a chemistry, physics and engineering teacher at Zillah High School in Zillah, Washington. He's been working in this position for his entire 13 year teaching career. Jeff has a Bachelor of Science in Biology and was a member of the William O. Douglas Honors College at Central Washington University, and holds a Masters of Education from Central Washington University. He is a National Board Certified teacher.  For more please see: http://www.ccsso.org/ntoy.html

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SOURCE People to People Ambassador Programs