Foreign Exchange: Scam?

[Blue_Kryptonite]

My 14-year-old has a high IQ and tests well, but has no motivation and slacks off, as part of the Sk8r Boi/Beach Bum culture he and his friends are into.

As a result, he is under threat of being expelled from the Tabletop group if he doesn't work to pass, and has begun treating school like a sport he plans to win. So far, so good.

However, in this morning's mail, I received a manlla-coloured package inviting him to attend an informational meeting to travel to China for 17 days as part of the "People to people student ambassador program", which the literature assures me was founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

It also states he was "recommended for the honor by a teacher, former student ambassador or national academic listing." My scam bell goes off by the errors, such as the promise of a rickshaw ride through the Hutong district, “where many locals still live today”, an activities list including “a king fu school” and “Explore the ancients ways of tai chi” [sic].

My research turns up nothing but their website, and I've never heard of them despite co-designing and operating a charter school of science of technology a few years ago.

Anyone know anything one way or another?

 

[Bront]

Do a google search, I turned up quite a bit of information on "People to people student ambassador program" (use the quotes)

The Ripoff Report on them doesn't read good untill you read every entry after the first one, and it's dated back to 1999. There's some merit to this. Probably just a bad editing job (Which happens).

I would look into it more.

 

[Blue_Kryptonite]

Thanks. My pre-coffee skillz are exceedingly not l33t.

 

[Greatwyrm]

I'd also check with the school counselor. They usually have info on programs like that, too.