The Peace Corps last week capped the first year of its initiative to increase U.S. students’ “global awareness” by sponsoring “World Wise Schools Week” in more than 400 high schools across the country.
The World Wise Schools program has involved nearly 30,000 students and included activities designed to promote the study of geography, stimulate international awareness, and encourage volunteerism.
More than 1,100 Peace Corps volunteers stationed in all parts of the world have been matched with participating classrooms to exchange information, photographs, letters, and artifacts from abroad with students.
Next year, the Peace Corps plans to expand the program to link 6,100 volunteers with elementary and junior high schools nationwide.
Information is available by calling 1-800-424-8580.
Erin Lynn Rempe, a high-school junior in Manchester, Iowa, has been named as the only student winner in the National Outstanding School Volunteer Awards Program. The annual competition is sponsored by Kraft General Foods, Walt Disney World, and the National Association of Partners in Education.
A student at Manchester’s West Delaware High School, Ms. Rempe has worked to foster acceptance of special-education students in her school district.
She has lobbied local educators to more fully integrate special-education students in regular classrooms and school activities, and has worked to improve relations between special and regular students.
Ms. Rempe and the six adult winners were recognized at a White House ceremony in Washington, and at a second ceremony at Florida’s Epcot Center this month.
Program sponsors also awarded the West Delaware County Community Schools’ volunteer program $1,000.
The awards competition is designed to bring national recognition to school volunteers who inspire others to make improvements in school policies and curricula, or who set up new educational-partnership programs.
Schools celebrated National Youth Service Day 1990 last month with public forums, volunteer recruitment fairs, blood drives, and scores of projects on issues ranging from care for the elderly to homelessness and protection of the environment.
In San Diego, high schools hosted a Youth Summit at which students debated critical social issues and offered recommendations to local-government officials.
In Tampa, Fla., schools collected for the Salvation Army. And in Virginia Beach, Va., high-school students swapped places with city and school officials for a day.--lj
