Source: http://www.candgnews.com/news/donation-will-boost-student-travel

March 18, 2013

By Maria Allard
C & G Staff Writer

WARREN — As Fitzgerald Public Schools’ partnership with China continues, a student trip with adult chaperones to visit the foreign country is planned for the spring of 2014.

Money for the excursion does not come from the district. Since students who travel abroad have to pay their own way, fundraisers will be held and donations sought. Earlier this month, a large contribution came their way.

At a school board meeting March 7, AT&T Michigan Director of External Affairs Lori Doughty presented FPS Superintendent Barbara VanSweden with a $10,000 check from the company to help fund next year’s trip.

As a leading economic power in the world, understanding Chinese culture will be critical to many of the student’s career paths, according to school officials. In an effort to promote global awareness between the students and celebrate the different cultures, FPS began a partnership with the Jiading District in Shanghai in March 2011.

The $10,000 was donated to the Macomb Cultural & Economic Partnership, based in Mount Clemens. MCEP Secretary to the Board Ed Bruley said the money will go into a separate account for FPS.

“The money can only be spent on educational purposes,” said Bruley, who along with State Rep. Jon Switalski, D-Warren, attended the check presentation. For instance, money from the account can be spent on admission to a museum, such as the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center.

AT&T has a program called Aspire, which supports a number of educational initiatives.

“We try to focus on education. That’s one of the main thrusts of the company,” said Doughty, who credited Switalski for the donation on behalf of FPS. “He’s the reason the district is getting this money. He worked with private industry to help get the money to the district.”

Switalski, who has traveled to China with MCEP, aided in submitting the grant proposal for the AT&T donation. He represents “a vast majority of Warren and all of Center Line” and meets with local school officials on a regular basis.

“I work with the superintendents at great lengths to find out what are the specific needs of the students,” the state representative said. “The (AT&T) Foundation decided this would be a great way to invest in the students.”

Bruley said it costs approximately $3,400 per student to visit China on a two-week trip. Bruley said that, for some students, it is their first time on an airplane, out of the country, on a train or subway, and also the first time they owned a passport.

In 2012, students and staff from FPS visited China with MCEP members. Next year, a new group of students will travel abroad and is slated to visit three historical cities: Shanghai, Beijing and Qufu. Each stop is designed to provide understanding of the Chinese culture. Many students will travel with their Chinese language class.

FPS officials shared their appreciation regarding the $10,000 donation.

“I would like to thank AT&T for their generous donation,” VanSweden said. “It’s always an adventure to travel with the MCEP. We also want to thank Jon. We all recognize the importance of making sure our children have that global experience.”

“That’s a wonderful gift to China,” Board Trustee Lori Eseman-Dreyer said. “That was great.”

The MCEP is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Macomb county efforts at economic development.

The MCEP can be reached by phone at 586-783-6008, by email at MCEP99@gmail.com, or online at www.macombchinapartnership.com or www.facebook.com/mcep99.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Maria Allard at allard@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1045.

Thanks to a $10,000 contribution from AT&T, a group of Fitzgerald high school and middle school students will travel to China next year to explore the culture and economy of the world’s most populous nation.

The students will make their trip during spring break of 2014, along with a contingent of students and faculty from across the county who will participate in the third school trip to China arranged by a nonprofit group, the Macomb Cultural & Economic Partnership.

“It’s our responsibility to make sure our students think globally,” said Fitzgerald Superintendent Barbara VanSweden. “They cannot be content to think about just our community, our state or our country. Most of these students will one day be in a job that will, virtually or physically, take them to other parts of the world.”

The Fitzgerald school district launched a Mandarin language program for middle school students six years ago and in Spring 2011 Fitzgerald high school students and faculty visited their “sister school” in the Jiading section of Shanghai. In turn, Jiading students and faculty visited the Warren school district last fall during homecoming week.

While nine students and three teachers and administrators, including VanSweden, participated in the 2011 China trip, most families in the south Warren school district cannot afford to send their kids overseas, despite fundraising efforts . No taxpayer dollars are used to fund the trips organized by Mount Clemens-based MCEP.

State Rep. Jon Switalski, after participating in an MCEP trip, searched out grant or foundation funding for Fitzgerald, and AT&T answered the call.

“… With this important program we are proud to connect these students with an amazing chance to learn abroad and gain skills and experiences that will help them succeed later in life,” said Jim Murray, president of AT&T Michigan.

The 10 to 20 students expected to take the trip will complete school assignments while abroad and keep a journal as they explore the Chinese way of life and tour local universities. They will visit three historic cities – Shanghai, Beijing and Qufu.

MCEP hopes that the student trips will lead to participants signing up for study-aboard programs when they enter college.

MCEP has arranged numerous trips to China in recent years for local business executives, educators, elected officials and students.