I think that as a requirement for highschool graduation, that the

[pooja]

kids have to take a foreign trip. We are leaving our children behind by not exposing them to other cultures and other ideas. We need them to see their is a world full of people who don't give a shit what they think and live their lives perfectly fine. American children are illusioned into this America is the best bullshit and wake up in a battle field wondering what the hell they were thinking or going shopping to perpetuate the national debt.

[bryant69]

1. Do you mean white upper middle class kids should go abroad?

Or everybody?

And if everybody, how do you intend to pay for it?

Bryant
Check it out--> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[bluerum]

9. Pay for it? Sell some used Humvees and F16s. nt

[pooja]

11. Everyone n/t

[annabanana]

2. not a bad idea...

Failing that (an expensive proposition to be sure) We should Never elect people who haven't been out of their own neighborhoods.

[pooja]

12. Exchange programs are not expensive... flight over and regular

teen expenses. If you go to s. America.. dollars go far when converted to pesos.

[cynatnite]

3. Who would pay for it?

Our daughter is taking a trip to New York next spring for a school function. We're paying for most of it. A lot of kids aren't going because they're families can't afford it.

The idea is a good one, but the money is a major obstacle.

[pooja]

13. Isn't sending Americans abroad to gain valuable lessons lessons

cheaper than 500billion every yr for war?

[cynatnite]

26. Won't get any argument from me :)

too bad the repukes care more about waging a war than educating our kids.

[fishwax]

4. and speaking of the national debt, who pays for this project?

I think it would be great if all kids could take a foreign trip before graduating high school. I don't think most kids/families could afford it, though.

[Bridget Burke]

5. Great. How much are you going to contribute?

I'm sure most high school kids would love to visit Europe. Or NYC. Or San Francisco. Or the cpaital of their state...

But they're working a job, looking out for younger sibs & trying to graduate. HOPING to have some money for community college.

[pooja]

15. I know that when I went abroad, we fund-raised most of the money.

I would think it would serve the business community if they had rounded- worldly experienced young professionals to choose from.

Also, we saved a lot of money because we stayed for 2wks with host families. Exchanges are a great way to save money.

[Bridget Burke]

25. Well, my high school had NO "trip to Europe" option.....

But it was fairly working-class. Guess those not destined to be "young professionals" don't count. (Not that none of us became professionals--but we aren't that young now.)

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

6. A worthy idea, but first, we should work on teaching grammar.

;)

[pooja]

17. I'm talking about seniors in highschool. Face it by your senior yr.

You have usually taken all of your core classes. I had to invent study projects for myself and then allow a panel to grade me at presentation time..

And I think grammar needs to be taught in the primary grades. If there is struggle in your senior year, you and your teachers and your parents failed you many years ago. You better at least experience other people's because you certainly won't be able to read about other people.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

19. Judging by your posts, it's not taught very well. nt

[pooja]

23. Apologies for typing fast, at work, and not writing for a pulitzer prize.

[TlalocW]

7. Our small Kansas farming community high school

Had a Spanish teacher who had a lot of contacts in Puebla, Mexico. A bunch of students (including me) raised money to travel to Puebla, where we stayed with families there for two weeks during a Spring semester. The previous Fall semester, the Mexican students had done the same - come up and stayed with families in town.

Probably wouldn't be too feasible for too large a group though. Plus, there are going to be some kids who just won't want to go - during the winter break of my freshman year in college, I was asked to come back to the high school to help out with judging the state weightlifting championships for 1A through 3A schools (we were 4A so didn't have a horse in the race), and I showed up wearing a t-shirt that said in Spanish, "Smile if You Speak Spanish." I ran into a guy a couple of years behind me who asked what it meant, and when I told him, he said, "Why would you want to speak that shitty language?" He was quite racist.

By the way, my answer was, "If I were stranded on a desert island with you and a Mexican with an IQ under 50, I could still have an intelligent conversation." He didn't get it.

TlalocW

[HughBeaumont]

8. Europe is costly. We're talking $800 - 1200 per plane ticket.

Any further than that, you're looking at about a month's take home pay per person for most working people. I should know this because 2/3 of the people I work with take trips overseas and I'm always wondering where they come up with the money for these exorbitant plane costs. I'm going to Italy in five years. That's a realistic time frame because I know that it's going to cost quite a pile and I'll need that much time to save.

Nice idea, but there's got to be a better way.

[pooja]

21. My experience is that seeing is believing.. and I'm talking about a

mandatory senior experience involving real in your face cultural awareness. If these children I see today are my future, please kill me now.

[Little Star]

10. Republicans think that is what war is for.

Join the Navy, sail the seven seas, etc.

[Finder]

14. There are several programs for students who show promise...

such as the Student Ambassador program, to travel internationally. It is funded by many different sources--federal, state, local and community fundraising. In the past couple of years we have sent students to New Zealand, Australia, Honduras, Russia.

[Tesha]

16. It's in the plans now; it's called "the draft". (NT)

[Ron Green]

18. Send disadvantaged kids to Europe and middle-class kids to the 3rd World.

Travel can be broadening for everyone.

[pooja]

22. I wouldn't object to go to a 3rd world country. Now, I would stay

away from Darfur right now, but there are many places that may have 3rd world behind it, and there may be many countries that are extremely poor... But is it necesary to have t.v., is it wrong to live in a hut, to make your own food from seed, to harvest, to belly. Is living with less wrong. Are we really saying Americans are better?

[Ron Green]

27. We HAVE ALWAYS said Americans are better, and our isolation

from the rest of the world has helped maintain this lie. I agree with you that universal travel for young people would be a good use of public money.

[Dorian Gray]

20. That's a fantastic idea

in an idealistic world. A world where we could afford to send every single child who matriculates through our public school system on a trip overseas. Even if we didn't require the families to supplement that, the cost to the schools would be exhoribant. Plus, there are paretns who may not want their children to travel at that age (as a minor) without them.

I'm a traveler, and I would recommend to every person I meet to travel. I think it's very educational and mind opening, but this idea could only be a pipe dream. A wonderful one, but not realistic at all.

[elehhhhna]

24. Send the reep gals to Aruba. I'll chip in.