The educational depth of each People to People program allows the Washington School of World Studies (WSWS), an accredited Travel Study School, to enroll Student Ambassadors in grades 9-12 in a tuition-paid, high school elective course entitled Ambassadorial Studies.

Students in grades 9-12 will be evaluated by their delegation leaders both before and during travel. A pass or no pass grade will be earned based upon the fulfillment of the course requirements.

Student Ambassadors in grades 5-8 who complete the course requirements will receive a Certificate of Completion. This may be presented to classroom teachers for possible extra credit or as documentation of work to meet state and local school district Certificate of Academic Achievement (CAA) requirements in reading, writing, social studies, or service learning. Schools will often place these certificates in a students work portfolio to demonstrate subject-specific work samples and experiences beyond the regular classroom requirements.

It is important to note that individual school districts set their own guidelines when accepting credit hours from other schools. We recommend that you meet with your academic advisor to discuss the course. The Introduction to People to People Ambassador Programs and course description should help address any questions.

Below are some additional frequently asked questions regarding high school credit.

High School Credit FAQ

This applies to the Student Ambassador Program only. Please contact our office for academic credit information about the Sports Ambassador Program or Student Leader Programs.

What type of credit do Student Ambassadors earn?
Students in grades 9-12 who successfully complete the course requirements will earn one semester elective social studies credit equivalent to 120 instructional contact hours.

In addition, students enrolled on a Student Ambassador Program will receive 10 service-learning hours for the successful completion of a community service project either before or during the program.

Do Student Ambassadors need to apply to earn high school credit?
No, students do not need to apply. Students in grades 9-12 are automatically accepted in the Washington School of World Studies (WSWS) when they enroll in the program.

It is the delegation leader’s responsibility to evaluate the student before and during travel, and send a credit completion form for each student to the WSWS for review. (No credit completion forms are required for students in grades 5-8 to receive their certificate of completion.)

In the past students in grades 5-8 were eligible to earn high school credit. Why has this changed?
The Washington School of World Studies recently gained full accreditation through the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS). The accreditation process through NAAS included an extensive review of all school policies and materials. Following the formal accreditation review process, it was a directive from NAAS that the WSWS only provide high school credit to high school students in grades 9-12.

What course work is required?
Delegation leaders will discuss this in depth with students during pretravel preparation. Students will receive complete information on high school credit with their acceptance materials. This information includes a course description and grading criteria.

To complete the basic requirements, students must fully participate in every aspect of the program. Successful students will embrace the cultural learning opportunities the program presents, adhere to the code of conduct outlined in the Standards of Success, and keep an academic record of the experience in their travel journal. Please see the course description for more detailed information.

How are students graded?
Delegation leaders will evaluate each delegate throughout the pre-travel and travel portion of program. Each leader will provide individual feedback to delegates on their progress and areas the leader has identified as improvement.

Upon conclusion of the program, students will receive a copy of the credit evaluation form, which will indicate whether or not they have passed the course. Delegates with passing scores will receive a transcript from the Washington School of World Studies highlighting their educational experience.

What if a student’s course work is not satisfactory?
Students who do not receive a passing grade on their credit completion report will be allowed to improve their work and resubmit it to their delegation leader for consideration. On the credit completion report, leaders will note what additional work needs to be submitted by the student to receive a passing grade.

Students who are removed from the program and students with severe discipline problems will not pass the course and will not have an opportunity to resubmit their work.

Where are transcripts sent?
High school transcripts will be mailed to the student’s home address within eight weeks of their return unless otherwise requested by the student and parents.

What should a student do with the transcript?
Students should take their transcript to their academic advisor when they register for high school. The student’s school counselor will help them fit the credit into their overall graduation plan.

How can students use the credit that they earn on the program?
Students can use their academic transcript from the Washington School of World Studies to highlight their international travel experience and add it as a part of the their academic portfolio. This will reflect positively on the student when applying for scholarships or to a college or university. 

Will other high schools accept the credit?
Individual school districts set their own guidelines when accepting credit hours from other schools. In our experience, the high school credit earned by Student Ambassadors will not be accepted as replacement credit for a required high school course.

Many school districts will include the credit hours issued by the Washington School of World Studies as elective credits earned by the student. We recommend students meet with their academic advisor to discuss their school policies.

If a school will not accept the credit, what should a student do?
A student should meet with their academic advisor to discuss their school’s policy for accepting transfer credits from another accredited institution. Most high schools in the United States are accredited through one of the six regional accrediting institutions.

Being accredited implies that the school subscribes to a process of voluntary self-regulation that is a constructive experience designed to improve the quality of the member school. These accrediting institutions ensure that the courses provided by the school adhere to high standards and are designed to ease the transfer of credits between accredited institutions.

NAAS employs a reciprocity agreement with the five other accrediting institutions across the nation which mandates that the credits be accepted as elective courses. If the school the student attends is accredited, it should accept the credit as an elective course.

© 2008 Washington School of World Studies