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Imagine what U.S. high school students could learn about international affairs by talking with a former president and first lady.

Students from 15 states did just that when former President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter answered their questions by satellite on Georgia Public Television (GPTV). They appeared with other Carter Center of Emory University (CCEU) experts on "International Studies: Challenge for the Next Generation," an interactive seminar broadcast live from the Center this spring.

GPTV, the Georgia Department of Education, the Satellite Educational Resources Consortium, and The Carter Center spent a year developing the four-part program, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

The series was designed to teach students about contemporary inter-national issues based on topics from Talking Peace (Dutton Children's Books, 1993), President Carter's book for junior and senior high school students. Each program used satellite delivery and on-line computer networking to provide CCEU resources and expertise to scores of classroom teachers and students nationwide. The programs focused on conflict resolution, democracy, human rights, and health.

"These seminars were designed to help American students see how global issues are interrelated," said Linda Helms, who coordinates education programs for CCEU. "The programs challenged them to become involved in identifying and solving global problems and understanding how these issues relate to problems in their own communities."

Each program used live discussion, videotape of the Center's activities, and location footage from around the world to enhance international studies, geography, social studies, and civics curricula. Teachers received print materials to use before and after each program.

CCEU and other experts fielded questions from 200 students in the audience and some 1,500 students in 49 schools linked to the Center by satellite. They asked about civil conflict in the post-Cold War Era, the United States' relationship with Cuba, the Chiapas rebellion in Mexico, teen violence, AIDS, and other topics.

"I learned that many problems are more widespread than the media tells us," said Megan Morris, a 17-year-old junior who watched the seminars from her high school in Dublin, Ga. "Also, most areas of the world have a combination of problems, such as civil war, poverty, malnutrition, and exploitation. There are groups that try to help, but they often don't have enough money or volunteers."

CCEU and its partners are awaiting results from a survey sent to 60 teachers to evaluate the series. Their assessment will provide information needed to produce additional programs in the future.