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Last 15 Articles

3-10-2003 - A PEEPHOLE into PEOPLE To PEOPLE

9:23 am GMT

It's happening again. Kids are getting letters, not email, telling them they've been chosen to be a Student Ambassador and how they were special as a teacher had recommended them. This just happened to the 13 year old son of a friend of mine. You have no idea how hard it is to burst that bubble.

The thing that made me get the pin out was that he was recommended by a teacher, according to the letter received from Paul M. Watson in Spokane, Washington. I'm going to call my friend 'Mona', it's bugging me to keep typing 'my friend'. Mona told me he's a really cool kid, a bit rebellious and not a favorite of his teachers. The word SCAM wouldn't leave me alone.

Mona had provided me with -- I'll call him Dave -- Dave's PIN number and the url.

"Want to register for an information meeting?

Reserve space for the Student Ambassador information meeting for you and your family here.

"Just log in by typing your last name and Personal Invitation Number (PIN) below exactly as they appear on the reply card included with your invitation. (If you reserve seats online, please hold on to your reply card, rather than mailing it in.)" I logged in.

"Welcome, Dave!

You and your family are on the way to discovering how you can explore exciting destinations as a Student Ambassador.

Please verify your name, address, phone number and e-mail address. If any of the information is incorrect, click on the link "update my info." This will allow you to update your information before reserving your place at an information meeting.

If your information is correct, please click on the link "reserve my space at a meeting." Under that were his name, home address, town, state and zip, but nothing entered for phone or interest. That sparked my interest because I was trying to figure out how they got his address and all.

I saddled up Black Beauty and with heel to flank we galloped to Google. Yeehaw. I went straight to the chase and entered 'student ambassadors scam'. Wham, first hit was perfect. There I was in the proteacher net the questions that had been tap dancing on my head were posed there under the heading "student ambassadors".

"I was wondering if anybody has every heard of or ever recomended a child to People to People Student Ambassador Program out of Spokane, Washington. Any information would be greatly appreciated." Information was provided from all sides.

""Our son was contacted via a letter and we went to the presentation. I am still trying to become comfortable with the organization. The program is run by Ambassadors International a promotions coprporation out of Spokane that is traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange. They have a contractural agreement with People to People International which is the non profit program referenced in all their material. Rest assured the company markets the trips to you and is a for profit enterprise. My concern is that they are using the mystic of the non profit People to People International in Kansas City to give you the idea that they are an extention of the non profit. Frankly, I am feeling that the slick positioning of this relationship is not comfortable for us. I called the International organization 1 800 676 7874 and talked to them and they made it clear that the relationship with Student Ambassadors Spokane is only contractural. I have seen many postings about students raving about the program so that is why I am having mixed feelings. It all looks great and the premise is wonderful. I just don't like the marketing which does not say what the Spokane group really is; a for profit corporation packaging these trips by wrapping the premise started by Eisenhower into there pitch."

First reply, and it reflected what Mona had wondered.

"I found it interesting that someone made this post. I was contacted this year by a former student who wanted a second recommendation from me. He claimed that he received a letter stating that he was nominated by his 5th grade teacher (me) to participate in this program. I honestly don't ever recall even hearing about this program or nominating anyone until he approached me this year. I wrote a second recommendation for him passing it off as something I probably forgot about (which is possible but rare). After reading this post, I am feeling a little uneasy about the whole thing. He was accepted and will be going next summer. Now I am having second thoughts."

She's not the only one entertaining thoughts. She didn't remember? That's something a teacher would remember unless senility is creeping in and they should be picking a pasture.

An entry from September 30, 2003 flushed a few nails. Again echoing Mona's concerns.

"Something's not right here. For one, how do they obtain all the personal information on a child, including address and phone number? I was asked to look into this and I'm not liking what I'm finding. The school didn't recommed the child in question, so who did?

Many kids make huge mistakes on the net by using their real information when filling things out. Where do you think spam comes from? That could be one way his name and information was collected and then sent via snail mail." Interesting point.

This last entry is from yesterday, October 2. "I too searched the web for a while before I found this site, and I'm glad I did. My daughter recently subscribed to a teen magazine and they got her name slightly misspelled. The letter from the student ambassador program had the same misspelling. Looks to me like the only recomendation a child gets is from the companies who sell thier mailing lists! " Aha!

These comments made me curious enough to go back to the student ambassdor site.

Oh yeah, number 8 on their faq spells out one way they get names.

"Q8: How can I recommend my sister or my best friend to be a Student Ambassador?
A: If you know someone who would make a great Student Ambassador, you can sign our "Recommend a Friend" guest book for them or ask them to contact our Program Office. They will need to go through the application, recommendation, and interview process before being considered as a Student Ambassador."

I click the guest book link. Guest book? Head palsy's. It's like porn sites that let anyone sign up whomever they want, be it for a joke or revenge. All pertinant information is required except for a phone number. Odd, yet I find it deep down and dirty. Say Ryan wants to play a joke on his friend Jim and signs him up and waits for the day Jim is jumping with joy at being chosen to be a student ambassador or Jim rips it in half with a laugh and skates away. It depends on the kid. But for many, whether they'd admit it or not, it's an ego boost to be singled out in this way and a ground-slammer to know they've been had.

There's the effing rub! It galls me to think an outfit like this would sucker them in slowly, the costs involved finally revealed. Score another one for the rich. 4-5 thousand bucks is a lot of money for the majority of families, yet some want their child to succeed in life so much they wind up pawning the family jewels, generations old, to sign them up in this. One girl who answered the question on proteachers defended the money and told how she earned and saved to go. Propaganda? Maybe.

Aha! I had to scour the site until I got to the parents part. Down the list something about a tuition just sorta slipped in. Nothing was mentioned before that, nor after. Not a word.

"Q: When is the tuition due?
A: A deposit is submitted with the student’s application. Following application, parents receive information regarding our billing process and payment options, including credit cards and wire transfers.

Q: Where should payments be sent?
A: Clearly mark your payment with your student's name and Student Ambassador ID# and mail it to:

Attn: Accounting
Dwight D. Eisenhower Bldg
110 South Ferrall Street
Spokane, Washington 99202-4800"

I discovered The Student Ambassador/People to People program is for real, even the current chump's presidential mug is on the site to the right of Eisenhower. The program itself isn't a scam, the trips happen and most kids are happy with the experience However, nowhere is it mentioned at the beginning of the first-bait, as in the site or the letter, there's any money connected to this.

Back I trot to proteacher's.

"My son would very much like to be a part of this program. After reading the responses I doubt that I will be associated with people to people.

Just tell me the truth. Why is it so hard to disclose all of the information? Why hide behind a non-profit when they are a for-profit organization? Whenever someone is being deceptive on issue I have to wonder what other issues they are being deceptive in.

I don't know if the anecdotal testimonials are true or not. It does appear that the literature is somewhat misleading if not down right deceptive."

A section of a middle-school's newsletter says it all. August, this year.

"FYI - STUDENT AMBASSADOR PROGRAM SOLICITATIONS (SCAM?) I have been contacted by parents wondering what it is, why they are being called at home, and who gave them their child’s name. Parents are being led to believe a teacher or educator nominated their child. This is not true. They acquired your child’s name somewhere else and we are looking into where so we can stop it if possible. You can get involved in the program if you like but I want you to know that we at the school are not promoting, supporting, or endorsing it in any way."

I checked out the actual People to People site and was taken aback when I read they're hustling for donations. Yep something's definitely not right.

Now I have to report all this back to Mona. Hopefully Dave won't be too bruised by the letdown. I also hope any parents reading who receive one of these letters will first investigate the source of their child's invitation and then check out the money bit before they get all excited and buy, ha, keyword, into it.

"Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes.
--Henry David Thoreau

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