People to People European Travel for Teens

OOps, I just read to the bottom of your note. Why do you think their marketing is "seemingly deceptive?"

Good Morning M.,

My 15 year old will be heading to Australia this summer with People to People and this is her second trip with the organization. The first was when she was just 11 when they went to England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Oh, and in Australia this year she will stay with a local family for a couple of days. All families/homes go through a thorough screening but the kids are also given code words they can tell the leaders if they feel uncomfortable about anything.

I can not say enough about the experience AND the organization. Have you been to the website and/or read the history of the organization? I guess when she was first invited to go I too had reservations and tried to find something wrong but couldn't. I was further put to ease after meeting Mary Eisenhower herself and understood how important it is to her to keep her grandfather's dream alive AS WELL AS the safety of the thousands of kids who travel under their name every year.
And as a 16 year old your granddaughter will be able to get high school and/or college credit for her time. It is not just a sight-seeing trip. They are involved in and learn about the cultures and usually participate in some sort of service to help the community they visit.
Our daughter is also working on her Congressional Medal which involves a boat-load of hours and even an excursion of some sort. People to People trips are one of the few organizations that fill all requirements for the excursion/exploration part of getting the medal.

I would be happy to talk to you privately and on the phone to tell you in more detail about our experience. I think you are indeed a loving grandma to have reservations, but it will be a safe - wonderful experience!

Lori K

My daughter was 15 when she went last Summer with the People to People program for 3 weeks to Great Britian. She also was a part of the Sports Ambassador group when she was 13 when they went to Austria. Both trips were wonderful experinences for her with many many fantanstic memories. She also developed some close relationships which have continued throughout the years and probably will last a lifetime. The program is expensive and probably for your money she and her whole family could go for the amount she will pay. Money aside, my daughter gained many intangibles that only a trip away from family with peers and trained counselors could provide. Safety was never and issue. These young people are closely monitored and the counselors are excellent in handling the various situations that arose (my daughter's debit card was eaten in an ATM the second day and the problem was resolved quickly). If your grand daughter participates in this program I hope she has as much fun as my daughter and her group.

I don't have answers for you. I am writing because I'd like to learn more about the program.

Also, what is the marketing program they are using to raise the red flags. I'm sure you as a mom and Grandmother are keenly aware of the red flag and how you react to that gut instinct.

My 15 yr old daughter is planning to live in Italy for about a year because it is her dream. We support her dreams and I am looking into programs where we can do this.

Any ideas are appreciated!

A friend of ours sent his daughter to Europe with P2P and she lovd it.
I have a foreign exchange student from Germany with YFU and I am happy with them and if I was to send any of mine to a foreign country I would probably use them.
Is your daughter livign with a family? And how does P2P screen these families? Those would be my biggest questions.
Also make sure that your insurane will cover her while over there. We have had some issues with the American insurance company that said they would cover my student.
I think she will have a great time and it is so very natural to be scared to death when sending your precious child with complete strangers to a foreign country.
My student's mom was a wreck for a long time but she is now excited to hear of her adventures here in AMerica.

Two teachers and our school counselor where I work do P2P and have such wonderful things to say about it. Everything I have heard about P2P has been positive.

My daughter too was "nominated" for P2P, in the 6th grade. (She's a straight A student, very respected by her teachers, etc) At first I thought it was an honor to be recognized. We went to the seminar, I asked questions "Like how was my daughter selected?", not only was I concerned about the chaperones, but I was also concerned about the other students she would be with. I never got a direct answer to my question. A few weeks later, when talking to a friend, I found out that her daughter was also "nominated" at a high school level. Her daughter is a "C" student, very unmotivated, and only participated in one school club/sport. That set up a big "red flag".

I also talked with a parent from our school who had sent her daughter. She said she her daughter really enjoyed the trip, there were no safety issues, and with all the fundraising she didn't have to put out a lot of money. But I never got the response I was looking for like this was an amazing opportunity, she saw so many great things, it was an adventure of a lifetime, can't wait to go again.

I was also very put off by their marketing techniques. I felt they were teaching us how to get a "free" vacation. I did a little research and discovered that I could go on a similar trip with a tour for about 60% of the cost, and that included hotels, not hostils.

On the plus side, this organization has been around for many years and they're still in business. And yes it is a business, not a non-profit.

We only went to that first seminar. For the following 3 years, we got the you have been "nominated" letter. Just my opinion, but too many red flags for me.