AMBASSADOR NEWSLETTER
JANUARY 2016
Road Scholar offers off-the-beaten-path destinations
Welcome to the Ambassador Team!
Welcome to our new Ambassadors who
joined the team this year:
•
Emma Lapsansky-Werner
•
Judith Heringslake
•
Edsel Caine
•
Sandra Switzer
•
Liz Taylor
•
Dianne Chenier
Did you know?
We recently launched a new online chat
feature on the Road Scholar website —
offering yet another easy and convenient
way for our participants to learn more
about our programs and get questions
answered! Participants who would like to
chat with us can do so by visiting the Road
Scholar website at www.roadscholar.org
and clicking on the “online chat” box — it’s
at the top of the page — during business
hours to communicate with staff.
Road Scholar offers our participants more than 5,500 programs in destinations
around the globe. For those who have seen much of the world already or have
an interest in an off-the-beaten-path experience, we offer a few new adventures
designed to appeal to the most adventurous learners. Each program is led by expert
instructors who immerse participants in everything local — from food to culture
and history — and offer them an opportunity to learn and explore numerous topics
and cultures. Here are a few new and unique adventures you may wish to mention
during your next presentation:
Fiddling Under the Northern Lights:
Culture and Science in Alaska
Namibia’s Splendor: Desert, Culture
and Magnificent Wildlife
www.roadscholar.org/6328
www.roadscholar.org/22269
Winter in Alaska is a defining time of year.
Join the people of the Alaskan Interior
and experience true northern exposure in
Fairbanks and Chena Hot Springs. Celebrate the Athabascan Fiddle Festival and
learn about the fabulous aurora borealis —
examining scientific theories and folklore.
Then travel 60 miles to Chena Hot Springs
to learn more about adaptations of the
people, plants and animals that survive and
even thrive in this sub-arctic environment.
Namibia is a vast country covering an area
the size of California, Oregon and Washington combined. It’s also an ageless land,
home to the oldest desert in the world,
cultures that have remained unchanged for
centuries and a rich heritage of stone-age
rock art. Come explore Namibia’s beauty
and learn about the Himba and other traditional peoples, the desert-adaptations of
the flora and fauna, a massive conservation
effort and the fascinating Namib Desert.
Exotic Burma: Ancient Kingdoms
and Hidden Temples on the
Irrawaddy River
Make it Big in Tinsel Town: Become
a Hollywood Filmmaker
www.roadscholar.org/21835
Lights, camera, action! Follow your Hollywood dreams to LA on this unique and
powerful foray into the exciting world of
filmmaking! In association with the International Family Film Institute, take part in
workshops led by working screenwriters,
directors, producers and other professionals. Learn trade secrets from the pros at
a working movie studio and roll up your
sleeves and produce an original film.
Undiscovered by most outsiders, the Southeast Asian country of Burma holds a wealth
of ancient treasures and intriguing history.
Board a luxury vessel to sail the Irrawaddy
River and access pagodas left behind by
empires of the past. Then journey to Inle
Lake to find floating farms, leg-rowing fishermen and a unique way of life.
www.roadscholar.org/22096
Q&A
Ambassador Question:
I am delivering a presentation to a group next week. The organizer asked if any programs are
available for those in wheelchairs because one of the participants in the group is handicapped. Does
Road Scholar create programs specifically for people with mobility issues?
Answer:
Road Scholar does not create programs specifically for mobility-impaired. However, we will make
reasonable accommodations for people with mobility issues on programs with an Activity Rating
of Easy. Participants should choose the program that interests them, call the toll free number, and
share their special needs with the Participant Services Advisor. They in turn will pass this information
to our Participant Support team, which will research the program and arrange for the needs and
comfort of the participant.
Meet Road Scholar Ambassador
Mari Bongiovanni
I am Mari Bongiovanni, a 66-year-old
lifelong learner and Road Scholar
Ambassador from St. Paul, Minnesota.
Although I retired at 62, I began learning with Road Scholar when I turned
55. My passions are inspired by outdoor adventures — hiking, biking and
kayaking — while exploring a bucket
list of locations.
“I expanded my vocabulary in Italian and English.
This program will be helpful to me professionally as I
teach foreign students, so I will have a greater depth of
background knowledge of other cultures to draw on.”
— Lorraine, 74
#18206, The Best of Italy: Rome, Florence and Venice
Road Scholar has been a perfect
solution for combining my cravings
for adventure with my interest in easy
learning. Local experts are inspiring
in their approach to unique experiences.
Claire’s Comments
Happy New Year! The Road Scholar Ambassador program
continues to grow as we welcome new Ambassador to our
team and reach out to new participants through presentations
and booth opportunities. Last year, Ambassadors delivered
273 presentations, adding over 3,000 names to the mail list
in 2015. Ten Ambassadors earned 100 names or more, and
used their program voucher to travel to destinations like Cuba,
England, San Francisco and New York. Please email comments
and suggestions. We really appreciate all of your ideas and look
forward to sharing them with fellow Ambassadors. Thank you
for all you do! We look forward to working with you in 2016.
Since I travel as a single, I always
praise Road Scholar’s inclusiveness
on trips: no cliques or couples-only.
Traveling on a limited budget makes
Road Scholar’s policies particularly
attractive — one price for everything
and no tipping.
Telling people about Road Scholar is
almost as fun as learning with Road
Scholar. Friendly audiences are eager
to hear about how easy, affordable,
educational and personal each trip
can be. We often explore reservations
and fears about traveling as an older
adult and explore solutions to their
concerns.
Prior to retirement I was a nonprofit
executive finalizing my career working
with people in my own East Side
neighborhood where I grew up and
still live today. I also share my love for
the outdoors with Ravi, my rescued
Border Collie mix.
Send us your photo!
Ann White sent this gorgeous photo
of Road Scholar participants enjoying
Watkins Glen, N.Y. during Road
Scholar’s “Hiking the Finger Lakes
Trails” (#12667).
We would love to share a photo of
you if you wouldn’t mind sending us
one or two. Please send us a photo
of you delivering a presentation,
attending a program or enjoying your
favorite hobby. Send your photos to
[email protected].