2 Youngstown teens will go down under

The program was started by President Eisenhower to help in cultural understanding.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Ashley Macklin and Marissa Parm are headed for Australia, Fiji and New Zealand as U.S. student ambassadors for the People to People summer delegation 2006.
Both girls will represent Youngstown during their 20-day educational and cultural exchange program as student ambassadors for the United States.
Ashley, 17, a daughter of the Rev. Lewis and Dorothy Macklin, is a junior at Chaney High School.
She is involved in the ministries of Holy Trinity Missionary Baptist Church and serves as a student representative of the Youngstown Board of Education. In addition, Ashley serves as a youth representative for the One Valley Project, which is an initiative of the Youngstown State University Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity. She is an alumna of the Youth Leadership Mahoning Valley.
Marissa, 13, a daughter of Jerome and Valerie Parm, is a seventh-grader at Youngstown Christian School. Marissa is a Girl Scout with Troop 523 and enjoys volleyball and studying the history of the Underground Railroad. She is a member of Christian Rival Discipleship Center ministry.
What's planned
This summer's exchange program will allow Marissa and Ashley to experience the native Aboriginal culture, meet government officials, and study the ecology of the Great Barrier Reef.
The girls will have the opportunity to experience life as an Aussie by living with a host family and visiting Sydney.
As student ambassadors, the young women must participate in raising the tuition and living expenses for the 20-day exchange program by seeking sponsorships from family, friends and the community. Both pupils have done community fundraisers, including hosting spaghetti dinners at Holy Trinity Missionary Baptist Church. Additional contributions from community supporters are welcome.
Dwight D. Eisenhower founded the People to People Student Ambassador program in 1956. It was President Eisenhower's dream to have youths come together in friendship and peace by sharing, experiencing and understanding the cultures of the world. The program is observing its 50th anniversary this year.
For the past five decades, students from all over the country are nominated then selected for this educational exchange through an evaluation and interview process. Participating students can also earn high school and college credits.