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The American Turkish Society will support NYC students to join Space Camp Turkey in Summer 2008

New York, NY–November 30, 2007 –  The American Turkish Society is pleased to partner with Global Friendship Through Space Education (GFTSE) to bring additional young people from the United States and Turkey together at Space Camp Turkey in Summer 2008.  

The American Turkish Society will cover airfare for ten deserving students from the New York area to attend International Summer Camp in July 2008, thanks to a generous donation from Delta Air Lines. In addition, The Society will match contributions from members and friends towards scholarships for these students. “We are pleased to partner with GFTSE in increasing the number of U.S. students participating in Space Camp Turkey,” announced Laurence Pettit, Esq., Chair of the Society’s Education Committee, “this program is well-aligned with our mission of promoting cultural exchange between the U.S. and Turkey and leverages the support of our corporate and individual members.”  

Global Friendship Through Space Education, a California-based non-profit organization founded in 2002 (www.gftse.org), is dedicated to promoting friendship among young people from different countries and cultures through the study of space-related science and technology. Through its International Scholarship Program, GFTSE awards scholarships for young people, aged 12-15, from over thirty different countries to participate in a 6-Day International Summer Camp at Space Camp Turkey, the third NASA-licensed Space Camp in the world and the only such facility in Turkey, the Middle East, eastern/southern Europe and Asia, located in Izmir, Turkey. The program motivates students to pursue studies in science and math and promotes cross-cultural understanding between students from different part of the world.  

The American Turkish Society, founded in 1949, is America’s oldest not-for-profit organization seeking to enhance economic, political, and cultural ties between Turkey and the United States.  In addition to organizing forums that inform the American public about the business climate, current affairs, and arts & culture of Turkey, the Society supports educational and cultural exchange programs. Another successful example of the Society’s education programs is the Global Educators Program, in collaboration with the American Field Service (AFS), which is an exchange program for Turkish teachers to live and teach in the U.S. The Society also supports fellowships and residencies at Berklee College of Music and School of Visual Arts for artists from Turkey, and promotes the appreciation of Turkish arts and culture in the United States through grants to film series, arts festivals, and exhibitions. Furthermore, the Society provides a platform to civil society organizations from Turkey to discuss social issues and needs and to give them opportunities to exchange ideas with their American counterparts.