Dear Fellows,

Congratulations on being selected to participate in the 2008 Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Initiative: Summer Institute for Youth. We are looking forward to spending time with you.

Once you arrive, we will be adding to this web site daily. Make sure your friends and family have this address bookmarked as we will be including streaming videos, pictures, and blogs. This will be a good way for friends and family back home to keep up with what you are doing. You can subscribe to RSS feeds for posts and/or comments for the main blog and for Founders and Diplomats blogs. It is an easy way to receive all the updates that happen on various parts of the web.

We promise you a fun and educational time. Check out the calendar link to see the basic game plan.

One of the cultural events we have planned for you occurs the first week of the Institute – an International Dinner. This dinner will be cooked by you! What we need from you your favorite recipe that is representative of your country.

Another cultural event occurs the first day of the Institute. We are making arrangements for you to attend local houses of worship – places that you might not have an opportunity to visit at home. This is purely optional, and provided in the spirit of an opportunity to have a new experience. It is also posted at Sunday Services.

Keep in mind that Winston-Salem in July can be hot and humid. Washington, D.C is also hot and more humid. They called the U.S. Department of State “foggy bottom” for a reason.

Philadelphia can also be hot and humid. With that in mind, dress accordingly. On campus and for most of the three week Institute, shorts and t-shorts will be acceptable. For visit to the State Department and The Washington Center in Washington dress will be more formal (for the guys, a nice pair of slacks and a dress shirt; for the girls, either nice slacks or skirt and a nice shirt).

We look forward to meeting each and every one of you.

Allan Louden, Director

Linda Petrou, Program Coordinator