The Global Ambassadors Program is a cooperative program of the Fort Collins International Center (FCIC) and the Office of International Programs (OIP) at Colorado State University.  Its mission is to help your students have a unique learning experience that cannot be found in the usual curriculum.

1. Please submit your request to the Global Ambassadors Program for a speaker, at least two weeks in advance if possible. Click here to submit your request.

2. Once the speaker has been assigned to you, please contact him/her right away (within the next 2 or 3 days) to confirm the assignment and to advise him/her on the type of group, age, number in the audience, attention span (if very young), extent of their vocabulary, and any special topics that you would like the speaker to emphasize.  Inform him/her of the depth of knowledge that the students have of his country;  that is, whether the presentation will be an introduction to his country or one that is building on a topic that they have already been studying.

3. Through this informal conversation, you will be able to assess the English skills of the speaker and how they will affect your audience.  Also at this time, you can find out if he/she will need any audio-visual equipment for the presentation.

4. If the speaker does not have a car, please arrange for a parent or aide to drive the speaker to and from the school.  If that is not possible, contact the Global Ambassadors Program; we will try to locate a volunteer to transport the speaker.

5. Prepare the pupils for the speaker by having them learn the location of the country and a few facts about it.   Most important, have them prepare questions to ask the speaker.  In most cases, the speaker will speak to the class about 15 minutes, introduce himself/herself and the country and then open the presentation for their questions.  The presentation will be guided by the children’s questions.  Please be aware that some questions may make the speaker uncomfortable.

6. Alert your principal and school receptionist to the fact that you will be expecting a visiting speaker.  Arrange to have a pupil meet the speaker at the entrance of the school to escort him/her to the classroom.
Following the visit, please have the speaker escorted out of the building.  

7. Please remain in the classroom while the speaker is presenting.

8. The speaker will very much appreciate a thank you note from you or the children.  You can send it to: “Speaker’s name”, Global Ambassadors, Office of International Programs, Laurel Hall, 1024 Campus Delivery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, 80523.

9. An evaluation form will be sent to you by email.  We appreciate having it returned with your comments on the usefulness of the visit and please include any negative, as well as positive, comments you may have.  This helps us improve the program.

Thank you for participating in the Global Ambassador Program.

Some suggested topics to choose for the class discussion with the speaker.

1.   Geography: location of the country and some important facts

2.   Language: alphabet, songs, numbers, literature

3.   Home and Family: rural/urban, family structure, dating, marriage customs, extended families, child/parent                   relationships

4.   Clothing: fashion, styles, customs, costs

5.   Manners and customs: ways for greeting, acceptable behavior at the dinner table, in a meeting, in school, etc.

6.   Food: different types of foods, preparation, style of eating

7.   Education: types of schools, behavior in class, educational requirements

8.   Sports: games, teams, sports at school

9.   Entertainment and Leisure Time: Music, theater, humor, TV

10.  Holidays: secular and religious celebrations

11.  Religion: dominant beliefs and holidays

12.  Government and Economy: current issues in the country, type of government, flag, currency

Recommended Supply List (if needed)

• Tape recorder or CD player
• Projector or power point projector
• Map of the world
• Chalkboard or easel
• Paper and markers for students
• Table and chairs for presenter
• List of questions