Russ Feingold: “in honor of the eighth annual International Education Week, which runs Monday, November 12 to 16, 2007, I would like to…”

“in honor of the eighth annual International Education Week, which runs Monday, November 12 to 16, 2007, I would like to emphasize the importance of international education and exchange programs and the key role they play in strengthening our own educational system, shaping our young citizens to become successful in our interconnected world, and improving our image as Americans overseas. In so doing, I want to share a number of stories from my constituents about how their international education and exchange experiences have changed their lives. While I do not have time to read all of their stories, I will ask to have them printed in the Record as each and every one of these stories demonstrates how critical it is that we support international education and exchange programs and initiatives. You will see in all of my constituents' stories a common theme-- international education has opened their eyes to the fact that we are an interconnected global community and that we have responsibilities as Americans to reach out to that global community. A constituent, Claire from River Falls, WI, wrote to me that: I was an AFS student in high school (in Brazil) and since then firmly believe that if we could lift every 16 year old out of their ``comfort zone'' and have them live somewhere else in the world for a few months; we'd end war and certainly increase global understanding.”