Participants from all 50 states travel to 46 different countries, experience access to people, places and exclusive activities

SPOKANE, Wash., June 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Despite today's tough economy, People to People Ambassador Programs, the leader in global educational travel experiences, this summer is sending thousands of students and teachers from all 50 states on unique educational experiences to 46 countries around the world. The People to People Ambassador Programs' experience is centered on travel and learning with unique access to both people and cultural activities. The company will be travelling students this summer to locations like the South Pacific, Asia and Europe, where students in grades 5 through 12 will also serve the organizational mission by bridging cultural and political borders via school visits, service projects and home stays, making the world a better place for future generations. Only on a People to People Ambassador Program can students rappel from a castle wall in Wales or meet face-to-face with a Member of Parliament in London.

"Whether the economy is good or bad, parents view our educational travel programs as an investment in their child's future and a key part in helping preparing them for success in a globalized world," said Peg Thomas, president of People to People Ambassador Programs. "Our programs offer life-changing educational experiences that help build self-confidence, sharpen leadership skills and establish lasting friendships. We are extremely proud of the fact that our participants travelling with us last year gave their experience a rating of greater than 90 percent in overall satisfaction and would highly recommend our programs to a friend."

New this year is People to People's social media hub, an interactive site where students and teachers travelling this summer are encouraged to share their unique experiences online by posting their photos and videos: www.peopletopeople.com/hub. The new media hub will also include links to other social networking sites where students and teachers can continue to build upon the friendships they developed through their People to People travels.

For more than 40 years, People to People Ambassador Programs has provided educational travel experiences for youth and adults. The organization has safely travelled more than 400,000 people and operated programs through some of the most historic and challenging times, including the current economic recession, Tiananmen Square, Gulf War, War in Iraq, September 11 and the London bombings.

"Learning comes alive for students who travel abroad with People to People Ambassador Programs," said Molly Woodrow, a teacher from Cincinnati who has led students abroad with People to People Ambassador Programs since 1987. "As students experience other cultures, they develop a strong sense of self-awareness and return home with a much better understanding of just how interconnected our world truly is."

Giving back:

Students and teachers in the programs spend nearly six-months prior to departure learning about their destinations and discovering its cultural differences. Participants also contribute more than 100,000 hours of volunteer time at home and around the world each year. From releasing sea turtles in Greece to working with school children in Africa and assisting local communities with harvest in China, the programs make a global impact, one service project at a time and teach students the value of service within their own communities back at home.

For more than ten years, People to People Ambassador Programs has provided scholarships for students who wish to participate in its exciting programs. As a top priority, the organization has donated roughly $400,000 in annual scholarships to students who have demonstrated a deep commitment to their education and community service. Within the past five years alone, People to People has donated more than one million dollars in scholarship funds to qualified students.

Parents and students interested in learning more about People to People Ambassador Programs can visit www.peopletopeople.com.

About People to People Ambassador Programs

People to People Ambassador Programs is the most recognized and respected educational travel provider and has provided more than 400,000 citizens of the world the opportunity to promote peace through understanding.

The Ambassador Programs include Citizen, Student, Sports and Leadership to promote international and domestic programs for professionals, students, athletes, and the leaders of tomorrow.

Participation in a People to People Ambassador Program contributes directly to personal success in a globalized world and fosters international friendships. Our hands on, unique, educational travel programs provide access to people and places beyond compare, and combine unique cultural experiences with personal interaction to create global impact.

The Ambassador Programs serve as the exclusive educational travel provider of People to People International (PTPI), the nonprofit, Kansas City-based organization founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to promote peace through understanding worldwide. PTPI and Ambassadors Group are united in their mission of bridging cultural and political borders through education and exchange.

About Ambassadors Group

Ambassadors Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: EPAX) is a socially conscious, education company located in Spokane, Washington. Ambassadors Group is the parent company of People to People Ambassador Programs, World Adventures Unlimited and Book Rags, 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 and subsidiaries is available at http://ambassadorsgroup.com.

SOURCE Ambassadors Group, Inc.