People to People Ambassador Programs Announces Winner of Bring Jordin Sparks to Your School Contest

SPOKANE, Wash., Nov. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- People to People Ambassador Programs, the world leader in global educational travel, today announced that Seton High School in Cincinnati, Ohio cast the most votes and is the winner of a personal school visit from Grammy nominated, American Idol superstar, Jordin Sparks beating out more than 2,200 other schools.    

Jordin Sparks will appear at Seton High on December 8, 2011. Students will hear firsthand what she has been doing since she won American Idol and how she spent the summer traveling with a student delegation on a People to People European adventure. The multi-faceted performer will also discuss her passion for philanthropic work and the importance for young people to make a positive impact on the world.      

"Traveling is a great way to open your eyes to new cultures and use that knowledge to empower yourself," said Jordin Sparks. "Not only was my experience with People to People a blast but this learning experience is a way to change your world."

This past summer, Jordin Sparks served as the first-ever celebrity Student Ambassador with People to People Ambassador Programs, traveling with a lucky People to People delegation for a once-in-a-lifetime trip through Europe that included singing with a Viennese choir, making apfelstrudel in the Austrian countryside and visiting iconic sites in Paris including The Louvre and the Eifel Tower.  

"We are excited to welcome Jordin Sparks to Seton High School," said Donna Brigger, Principal and CEO of Seton High School. "Seton's Student Council did a fantastic job of motivating our young women to vote during the contest - it is always great to see what can be accomplished when young women come together for a common cause!"

Seton High School, located in the Price Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati, is a parochial all-female, college preparatory high school that is committed to a forward-thinking learning experience.  

"Jordin is a great role model and inspiration for young women to look up to given all that she has accomplished at her age," said Peg Thomas, President of People to People Ambassador Programs. "She has done a terrific job as our first celebrity ambassador in spreading the message of the importance of cultural awareness in an increasingly globalized world."

Students can explore different cultures and expand their world views while building lifelong friends in a safe, fun and education environment on a People to People travel program.  

To learn more about Jordin's experience with People to People go to www.P2PSparks.com, which features a vlog about her experiences, photos and webisodes of her trip.  

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 Jordin Sparks

It has been nothing short of a whirlwind: The then youngest-ever winner of American Idol, Jordin Sparks was just seventeen years old when she won the coveted title. In reflection, it was the best training ground she could have ever had. "I didn't know it when we were doing the show, but all the interviews and behind-the-scenes stuff prepared me for now.  Being on Idol was exciting, exhilarating and slightly traumatic. I won the show I was a fan of, what could be better?" Thrown right in to the spotlight, and in to the recording studio, Jordin passed GO and never looked back.

In the four years that have followed, Jordin has released two albums on 19 Recordings/Jive Records. Her self-titled debut went platinum, selling over 2 million copies worldwide, with the first three singles going top 5 and the album's second single, "No Air" selling 4 million digital downloads.  "No Air" also is the highest selling single by any American Idol contestant and is listed #27 in Billboard's Top 40 Biggest Duets of All Time.  Jordin's second release, 2009's BATTLFIELD, debuted on the Billboard Album chart at number seven, with the first single, also called "Battlefield," reaching the top ten on the Billboard Singles Chart and second single, "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)," topping the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, becoming Jordin's first #1. Sparks also co-wrote four tracks on the album, including "911 Emergency," "Was I The Only One," "Faith," and "The Cure."  Cumulatively, her popular singles have sold almost 9 million downloads/ringtones.  

Sparks has toured with Alicia Keys, The Jonas Brothers, and Britney Spears and performed for Presidents Bush and Obama, won two BET Awards, one American Music Award, one People's Choice Award and has been nominated for two MTV Awards and one Grammy.  

So with domination of popular music checked off her bucket list, what was Sparks going to do next?  First up, Broadway. Debuting as Nina Rosario in the Tony award winning musical In The Heights in the Fall of 2010, Sparks spent 12 weeks on the great white way.  In the Fall of 2010 Jordin also unveiled her first ever fragrance line with the fruity floriental scent titled, "Because of You"- thoughtfully named by Sparks to pay tribute to her fans that have helped her to achieve her dreams.

In the summer of 2011 Jordin Sparks was featured on the cover of People Magazine's Summer Double Issue, MOST AMAZING BODIES, sang the theme song for the Disney film, "African Cats", released the hot dance single, "I Am Woman" (which became the theme song of the WNBA), and joined New Kids on the Block/Backstreet Boys as a special guest on their North American summer tour.  2012 is proving to be even more exciting as Sparks makes her feature film debut as Sparkle in the SONY Pictures film by the same name.

SOURCE People to People Ambassador Programs