Columbia, SC - Students participating in The Palmetto School of Protocol, Inc. "Travel is Education" initiative recently returned to the Midlands after a fabulous tour of London and other parts of England.

"We are very excited about the awarding of these travel scholarships and providing this small group of young ladies with an exceptional course of social graces instruction," says Jocelyn Brannon, Executive Director. "Although we plan two years in advance, I was originally a bit skeptical about choosing London for our bi-annual destination. In retrospect, I think it was a great choice," says Brannon. "It was truly a festive time to tour England due to the many activities associated with the Queen’s Jubilee Year and the London 2012 Olympics. And yes, we did see the Queen."

This trip marks PSOP, Inc.’s third round of scholarship awards to Midlands area youth. Every two years the organization provides, at no cost to the participants, a ten-week course of social graces instruction followed by a substantial travel scholarship to visit cities like Paris, Venice, Rome, Florence and now London. This year, the organization awarded scholarships to two Midlands area students: Taylor Dogget, a rising ninth grader at The Hammond School and Madison Murphy, a rising eighth grade student at Crossroads Middle School.

"It was joy to watch the students trek around the Tower of London, The Royal Observatory and the London Eye," says Daniel Ancrum, III a member of the PSOP, Inc. Board of Directors. "While at Stonehenge, we all had a great time together marveling at how those mysterious and heavy rocks could have been placed there." Ancrum has participated in every travel abroad trip implemented by the organization. "I take great joy in being a part of this initiative which gives a first-hand look at the world outside of South Carolina for participating students. It reinforces the instruction the students receive before departing Columbia and helps them to develop for themselves a global perspective and how they might fit into that view" said Ancrum.

The nine-day tour included stops in the Plymouth region to view Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral and the highly regarded ecological development, The Eden Project. Back in London the group participated in guided tours of Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, The Thames Barrier and The Royal Observatory. There was even time to take in a production of the musical "Wicked."

PSOP, Inc. is the not-for-profit arm of Columbia, South Carolina based social graces business The Palmetto School of Protocol; which for the past several years has partnered with Midlands areas schools, school districts, community based organizations and the business community to provide exceptional instruction in character education, dining and table etiquette, as well as business skills and corporate protocol. "I am so thankful to Mrs. Brannon and PSOP, Inc., said Don Doggett whose daughter, Taylor was a London 2012 scholarship recipient. "I have no doubt that this experience will broaden my daughter’s horizons and that the instruction she has received will benefit her as she develops into young womanhood."

The Palmetto School of Protocol, Inc. was established in 2007 and is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) not-for profit entity dedicated to developing people of good character and exemplary social graces. Through the provision of high quality instructional programs, PSOP, Inc. serves as a resource for SC families, businesses, schools, faith and community-based organizations that seek first rate training in the areas of etiquette, protocol, character development and experiential learning through travel.