Media Advisory: European teens to hold ‘around the world tour’ for local children
On Monday, July 23rd, at 1 pm, in Carswell Hall, 68 students aged 17-19 from nearly 50 European countries and across the U.S. will share their stories and experiences with children from the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club as part of the annual Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Institute (BFTF).
The children will experience an “around the world tour,” including slideshows, videos and music, prepared and presented by the Ben Franklin visiting fellows. The event is held to give local children an opportunity to meet young people from other countries.
Ben Franklin fellows participating in this highly selective program are chosen by embassies in their home countries for their willingness to learn about the value of diversity and the importance of working together across national and ethnic boundaries.
Ben Franklin fellows, organizers, and alumni mentors will be available to speak at the event.
The instructors and diplomats behind the BFTF created the program to help shape and educate today’s teenagers into tomorrow’s world leaders. The Institute has taken place at Wake Forest nearly every summer since its inception in 2006.
The Institute is funded through a grant by the United States State Department. It provides the opportunity for both instruction and practical experience in civic engagement, politics, and environmental activism.
Program Director Allan Louden, chair of the communication department at Wake Forest, says, “We teach teenagers that they are actors in the world, and they can make a difference.”
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