N. Philadelphia Charter School Hosts Cultural Exchange With Latvian Students
By Paul Kurtz
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Students at a North Philadelphia charter school were breaking bread today with 12 students from Latvia.
The National Constitution Center arranged this "meet, greet, and eat" at the People for People Charter School through a collaboration with acclaimed chef Marc Vetri, whose foundation feeds the students five days a week.
André Williams, the school's director of operations, says Vetri's "Eatiquette" initiative tosses aside the school assembly line lunch in favor of a family style setting.
" We went from the old conventional lunch room tables and benches to roundtables so the students can share and pass the food around to each other."
And that turns out to be a perfect way for the People to People students to eat and converse with 12 students from Latvia.
Seventeen-year-old Dmitri Piotrovsky (right) says he's learned a lot about American culture since his plane touched down last Saturday.
"It's great. I mean the possibility of getting some experience of new friends, new things to express is just amazing."
The Constitution Center is hoping the students the cultural exchange will spur these kids to eventually become more civic minded.
