HARDING ACADEMY TEACHER
INVITED TO THE INAUGURATION
Mr. Wayne Ray, sixth grade Language Arts teacher at Harding Academy Cordova, has been invited to participate in the upcoming presidential inauguration. The invitation came in September from the People to People organization based in Spokane, WA.
Mr. Ray has been involved with People to People for about four years as a teacher leader. The program was founded by President Eisenhower in 1956 to encourage world peace. He thought if we could bridge cultural and political borders through education and exchange, we would make the world a better place for future generations. If young people could learn about other cultures and groups they would hopefully become leaders who sought peace through understanding. Today, People to People offers various programs to accomplish his goal. The World Leadership Forum in Washington, DC allows students to explore our government and discover their own leadership styles though the study of our nation’s past and present leaders. The inauguration program is part of this forum. Other programs consist of Student Ambassador Sports Programs, Student Ambassador Programs, and various professional programs. The ambassador programs allow students to travel throughout the world, interacting with other students.
While in DC, Mr. Ray will attend various speaking events at Mount Vernon and in our nation’s capital. One of the speakers will be the granddaughter of President Eisenhower. She will enlighten the group on how her grandfather became president. Another speaker will be a White House Correspondent from U. S. News and World Report. The group will also attend an inauguration ball. Mr. Ray will be working with students from across the nation who have been invited to attend this historical event.
After his return, Mr. Ray will be sharing his experiences with his students and bringing back some life long memories.