Washington School of World Studies Info
Who is the Washington School of World Studies (WSWS)?
The Washington School of World Studies welcomes delegates of People to People
Ambassador Programs. Our high school and service-learning courses are developed
to build upon the group and individual experience, and to reinforce the People
to People mission of peace through understanding.
In addition to following standardized educational objectives, our courses
encourage independent thought and problem-solving. Through course requirements,
we seek to promote an interest in life-long learning about history, culture,
art, geography, economics, international affairs, and many other aspects of
world studies.
As an accredited educational institution, we are pleased to offer transferable
high school and service-learning credits to students in grades 9-12.
By whom is the Washington School of World Studies accredited?
WSWS is accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS).
NAAS is one of the six federally recognized accrediting institutions in the
United States. The association has reciprocity agreements in place with the
other five accrediting institutions. For additional information on NAAS, please
visit their website at
www.northwestaccreditation.org/.
Who are the other five accrediting institutions?
The other recognized associations are: Middle States Association of Colleges
and Schools, New England Association of Schools and Colleges, North Central
Association of Colleges and Schools, Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools, and Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Grade School/Middle School Delegation Academic Credit
Can students in grades 5-8 earn high school credit?
Student Ambassadors in grades 5-8 are not eligible to receive high school
credit. Students in grades 5-8 who complete the course requirements receive a
certificate of completion. This certificate 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, and/or service learning. Schools will often
place these certificates in a student’s work portfolio as demonstration of
subject-specific work samples and experiences beyond the regular classroom
requirements. (Students in grades 7-8 are still eligible to complete university
credits through EWU—see below).
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, the
NAAS directed that the WSWS only provide high school credit to high school
students in grades 9-12.
Are students who have completed 8th grade and going into 9th grade eligible to earn credit?
Yes, students who have completed the 8th grade are eligible to earn credit. If
they are traveling with a high school delegation, they are automatically
enrolled for high school credit with the rest of the delegation.
How do students who have completed 8th grade and are traveling with a junior high delegation enroll for high school credit?
Leaders of junior high delegations should communicate this opportunity to
their 8th-grade students at their first orientation meeting when they are
discussing academic credit. Students must then express to their leader that they
want to enroll for the high school credit. Once the leader has verified the
student has completed the 8th grade, the leader should send an email with the
student’s full name and Delegate ID number to
mail@schoolofworldstudies.org
stating the student would like to enroll for credit. The leader will receive a
confirmation via email that the message was received and the student will be
enrolled.
Are the curriculum requirements for students in grades 5-8 still the same even though they are not earning credit?
Yes. People to People Ambassador Programs are all educationally driven
programs. There is a continuous learning process for each delegate that begins
with pre-travel exercises and continues during travel. All students are expected
to participate fully in the educational aspect of the program. Students in
grades 5-8 will receive a certificate of completion verifying they have
completed the program. This certificate may be used as a standalone piece to
highlight their travel experience or to obtain additional extra credit from
their school.
High School Delegation Academic Credit*
*All questions in this section apply only to students in grades 9-12.
Who is eligible to earn high school credit from WSWS?
Student Ambassadors in grades 9-12 are eligible to earn high school credit.
High school delegates are automatically enrolled in a high school academic
credit course titled “Ambassadorial Studies”. 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 during orientation meetings and/or while traveling on the program.
Can a student who is going into the 9th grade but traveling with a jr. high delegation earn credit?
Yes, students currently going into the 9th grade are eligible for credit. If they are enrolled with a high school delegation, they will be automatically enrolled for the credit. If they are in a jr. high delegation, they need to speak to their leader about how to get enrolled.
Do students need to apply to earn high school credit?
No, students do not need to apply. Students in grades 9-12 are automatically
enrolled in the credit at the time they enroll into the program. It is the
delegation leader’s responsibility to evaluate the student pre-travel and during
travel and send a Credit Completion Report for each student to the Washington
School of World Studies for review. (No Credit Completion Reports are required
for students
in grades 5-8.)
What do students need to do to earn high school credit?
To successfully receive credit for their course, the student must exhibit a
comprehensive range of social and academic skills. Examples of these skills
include how to properly conduct oneself during a cross-cultural experience,
understanding the special responsibilities of a People to People Ambassador,
good time management and record keeping, and consideration for others. Students
must also complete pre-travel assignments as directed by the delegation leader
and participate in all program activities during travel in order to earn credit.
The course allows the participant to work closely with the delegation leaders to
achieve academic excellence. All Washington School of World Studies courses
provide a unique personal growth experience seldom available through a
traditional educational setting.
How are students graded?
Students’ delegation leaders will evaluate each delegate throughout the
pre-travel and travel portion of program. The leaders will provide individual
feedback to delegates on their progress and areas the leader has identified for
improvement. At the conclusion of the program, high school students will receive
a copy of the Credit Completion Report form, which will indicate whether or not
they have passed the course. Only delegates in grades 9-12 with passing scores
will receive a transcript from the Washington School of World Studies
highlighting their educational experience. Students in grades 5-8 will receive a
certificate of completion.
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 there is a section
that should be filled out by the leader detailing what a student needs to submit
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 unless
otherwise requested by the student and parents.
What should a student do with the transcript?
Students should take their transcript to their school counselor 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?
Delegates who complete course requirements will be sent an official transcript
from the Washington School of World Studies. This transcript will become a part
of the student’s academic dossier and will reflect positively on the student
when applying to a college or university. Student Ambassador alumni and their
admissions counselors have told us that the additional work displayed on this
transcript sets the student apart from other college applicants.
What course work is required?
Delegation leaders will have this information and will discuss this in depth
with students at orientation meetings. Information on high school credit,
including a course description and grading criteria, will be mailed to students
with their acceptance materials. The basic requirements are full participation
in every aspect of the program, from the first orientation meeting to the return
flight home. Successful students will embrace the cultural learning
opportunities the program presents, adhere to the code of conduct outlined in
the Standards for Success, and keep an academic record of the experience in
their travel journal. Students in national delegations will work with their
leader via email or phone to complete the course work.
Will other high schools accept the credit?
Delegation leaders will have this information and will discuss this in depth
with students at orientation meetings. Information on high school credit,
including a course description and grading criteria, will be mailed to students
with their acceptance materials. The basic requirements are full participation
in every aspect of the program, from the first orientation meeting to the return
flight home. Successful students will embrace the cultural learning
opportunities the program presents, adhere to the code of conduct outlined in
the Standards for Success, and keep an academic record of the experience in
their travel journal. Students in national delegations will work with their
leader via email or phone to complete the course work.
If a school will not accept the credit, what should a student do?
First, they should meet with their academic advisor to discuss their policy
for accepting transfer credits from another accredited institution in the United
States. 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 at least as an elective course.
If the student’s school is still unwilling to accept the credit, the Washington
School of World Studies transcript can be used as a stand-alone piece to
highlight the international travel experience when seeking admission into
college. Many university admissions counselors have indicated that submitting
two transcripts with a college application, one that solely includes the
international credit, can actually allow a student’s international experience to
stand out.
University Credit
What do students need to do to earn university level credit?
Students should contact Eastern Washington University directly to enroll for university credit. They are not automatically enrolled in this and there is an additional cost that should be paid directly to EWU.
What course work is required?
Depending on the course and number of credits being earned, course
requirements can include keeping a journal, writing research
paper(s), and/or completing a variety of projects before, during, and/or after
completion of the program.
For more information, families can contact EWU directly at:
Eisenhower Center
300 Senior Hall
Cheney, WA 99004-2442
Phone: 800.541.2125
E-mail:
Eisenhower.Center@mail.ewu.edu