When travel blogger Tracey Friley learned that less than 40% of Americans have a US passport it sparked an idea that will change the lives of 100 young women. Her Passport Party Project is a philanthropic initiative that will travel the nation and gift 100 underserved girls with their very first passports. I personally know how empowering a passport can be for a girl - my Mom took me down to the passport office when I was 15 so that I could study abroad in Spain at 16 - an experience that forever changed my life.
How does it work? Well, the Passport Party Project hosts parties for ten girls each throughout the United States and gives them the tools to obtain their first passports. The goal is to inspire these girls, aged 11-15, to use their passports to ultimately take their first-ever trip abroad. Expedia® is the Official Travel Sponsor of the Passport Party Project and they are fully funding the initiative. After 100 girls have received their first passport, Expedia is also hosting a contest for Passport Party Project participants and six contest winners will earn a free trip to an international destination, accompanied by a parent or a legal guardian and Friley, where they will earn their first passport stamp. Pretty exciting!
Congrats to Tracey Friley on developing such a great program and to Expedia for supporting it. The Passport Party Project will end its nationwide passport initiative in March 2013, so there is plenty of time to get involved. To learn more, visit the Passport Party Project website.