Visiting Fulbrighters from Around the World Tour Tribeca
Metro International Brings "New" New Yorkers Downtown

New York, NY, October 25, 2001 - On Saturday, October 27, 2001 Metro International, a Tribeca based not-for-profit organization, will host a guided walking tour of "The TRIangle BElow CAnal." Participating in the tour will be 30 Fulbright scholars and other international students from more than 20 countries, including Israel, Egypt, Indonesia and Germany.

The afternoon tour, one of a series sponsored by Metro International to help visiting international students get out of the classroom and into the NYC community, is designed to introduce participants to the historical transformation of Tribeca. The tour will end with an informal reception in Metro's office where students will mix and mingle with Metro staff and learn about other programs designed to make them feel welcome and a part of the New York City community.

"The New York these students are experiencing now is not the New York they expected when they arrived," said Margaret Shiba, Executive Director. "The original purpose of the tour, which we planned long before the attack of September 11, was to introduce newly arrived international students to the exciting, vibrant neighborhood that Metro International calls home. Now we have added the goal of reducing the fear factor and showing these students how Tribeca is carrying on against the backdrop of its altered landscape."

The New York area annually hosts 50,000 international students, who contribute over $1 billion to the local economy. Many of these students arrived in New York for the fall semester just days before the attack on the World Trade Center. "Metro's mission of connecting international students with New Yorkers has taken on heightened urgency," added Shiba.

Schedule
2:30 pm - Tour begins from North-west corner of Broadway and Read Street

4:30 pm - Reception at Metro International, 285 West Broadway, Suite 450 (south of Canal Street). (212) 431-1195 x21 or 24.

About Metro International (www.metrointl.org)
Metro International Program Services of New York, Inc. creates global learning opportunities for students, educators, and the community in New York City and beyond. Metro's array of educational services and outreach programs promote interaction between international students and the residents of New York in settings as diverse as local neighborhoods, school classrooms, business, and cultural institutions. Metro serves as the officially-designated coordinator of enrichment programs for visiting Fulbright students and scholars in the New York area and is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in providing substantive and innovative educational programming.