MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS’ (M-DCPS) STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN EXCHANGE PROJECT WITH RUSSIAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Miami, FL - Students from the Academy of Hospitality & Tourism at Miami Beach and Alonzo and Tracy Mourning senior high schools, both National Academy Foundation career-themed academy models, will participate in an exchange project with students from Russia in 2014. United States and Russian high schools will form joint U.S. – Russian teams to develop small tourism-related businesses for their respective hometowns.

The program is being administered by the U.S. Embassy in Moscow under a grant provided by the U.S. State Department to support meetings, virtual interactions, exchanges, and internships between American and Russian organizations. The high school project is one element in a U.S. State Department program called the U.S. Russia Peer-To-Peer Dialogue Program. Its aim is to foster personal contact between Russians and Americans in order to improve relations.

The Peer-To-Peer high school project will rely mainly on a virtual meeting platform and other online tools so the students can work together in small teams. M-DCPS Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho stated, “This project will enrich the classroom experience and provide students the opportunity to learn by collaborating with mentors and peers while building their own global network.  Hopefully we will be able to replicate this project and partner with other communities around the world.”  Students will receive coaching from experienced business leaders via webinars, talks on relevant topics, and online mentoring.  The teams will also compete with other teams in various categories ranging from “Best Business Plan” to “Best Collaboration.” Up to eight finalist teams will be selected to present their projects to a panel of travel and industry professionals. Winners and their teachers will visit each other’s hometowns.

The high school project will be managed in the Russian Federation by Dr. Nina Kuznetsova, Executive Director of Junior Achievement Russia, and in the United States by Dr. Nancy Needham, President of Global Initiatives Inc. based in West Chester, Pennsylvania. “Given the nature of the modern global economy, we think it is important for young people to learn about business and to learn about working with other people through projects like this one,” said Dr. Needham.

For additional information about this project, please contact the Department of Career and Technical Education at 305 693-3030.

ABOUT THE GLOBAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM PARTNERSHIP (GTTP)
Global Initiatives manages the Global Travel and Tourism Partnership (www.gttp.org) and is a tourism education alliance that serves some 430,000 students in 11 countries and is supported by both global members of the industry and local members. GTTP’s mission is to expand Travel & Tourism-related educational and career opportunities for secondary school students at a time when they are making career choices and to develop their awareness of the importance of Travel & Tourism, the world’s fastest growing industry to their country’s economy and the global economy.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL ACADEMY FOUNDATION (NAF)
M-DCPS students participate in the tourism education programs of the National Academy Foundation (www.naf.org); which is a program partner of GTTP.  NAF is an acclaimed network of career-themed academies that open doors for underserved high school students to viable careers. NAF academies focus on one of five career themes: finance, hospitality & tourism; information technology; engineering; and health sciences. More than 4,600 business professionals volunteer in classrooms, act as mentors, engage NAF students in paid internships, and serve on local advisory boards. During the 2012-2013 school year, over 62,000 students attended 546 NAF academies across 39 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In 2012, NAF academies reported 97 percent of seniors graduated, and 84 percent of these graduates plan to attend college.

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