Finally, the program increases the understanding and appreciation of different cultures among elementary school children by presenting these cultures as interesting, exciting, and important. Of the five students who participated in the pilot program in the spring 1991 semester, three are now in teaching programs. The spring 1992 program included twenty-two student ambassadors. Most of the student ambassadors studied abroad in non-English speaking countries. Therefore, they incorporated foreign language lessons into classroom presentations which focused on situation-based communication rather than memorization and translation.
Evaluation occurs yearly at the end of the semester in which the program takes place.
The partnership addresses needs within the College and the elementary schools. The collaboration provides an opportunity for College students who have studied abroad to consolidate and share their experiences. The partnership also strengthens the social studies curriculum in the elementary schools. We will be expanding our funding base and our level of participation within the College and the Worcester elementary schools. Initial support for this project was provided by the U.S. Information Agency, through a grant from the Cooperative Grants Program of the National Association for Foreign Student Affairs.