Route J-1

By Shellie Weaver of Missouri, host mom of a J-1 Secondary School Student

Emmanuel eating a S’more, one of his new favorite foods

Emmanuel Dabuo of Ghana befriended everyone from the moment he arrived. Whether at school, home, church, volunteer activities, or sporting events—he became the center of attention and achieved “movie star status” in our small community. His million-watt smile, genuine love of all people, hilarious giggle, and positive personality made him instantly popular. His willingness to step outside his comfort zone and try new things inspired others to be fearless. He reached out to those kids at school who were friendless, sitting alone in the cafeteria, and became their new best friend. His name means “God with us,” and it fits him well.

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Categories: Program Spotlight

By Daniel Grave, J-1 Summer Work Travel Alumni from the United Kingdom

Daniel Grave representing team UK at California Cup in Santa Barbara

Beginning in 1990 as a student from Portsmouth University, I spent two summers on the J-1 program with a good friend of mine.  It was the beginning of a journey that led to starting my own business, which last year served over 200,000 clients and is quickly growing to a world wide brand.

This was a unique J-1 program where I began to develop my entrepreneurial skills selling educational books door to door in the United States.  At first, I was a bit skeptical about going off to run my own business in America, but as my friend had done it before and the Southwestern program had been around since 1868, I thought I’d give it a shot.

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Categories: Program Spotlight

By Linda Haglund, J-1 Intern from Finland

Linda Haglund (giving the thumbs up) with her fellow I-LEAD leadership training students at American University.

Something has happened to me, and I have changed. I’m stronger, more confident and more hopeful about the future. I’m happier, more open and more in the present than I’ve been in the past. I have 60 new friends from 30 different countries. And I feel it in my bones: I can do anything!

My week in Washington, D.C. has made me a new person, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that the leadership training I-LEAD 2016 was one of the best and finest experiences I’ve ever had. Read More ›

Categories: Program Spotlight

By Lauren Aitken, Cultural Vistas sponsor organization

Papa Oppong reviews designs at the DC Fashion Foundation Incubator

After designing a collection in collaboration with Swarovski and interning for Rosario Dawson, people knew that Papa Oppong, a Ghanaian fashion designer, would go places. But it wasn’t until his U.S. internship at the DC Fashion Foundation that he found his passion project: combatting Malaria through fashion. Read More ›

Categories: Program Spotlight

Pack your bags, grab your passports, and start your engines. The Route J-1 blog is back with a new and exciting line-up of stories, directly from the J-1 Exchange Visitor community. Join us as we take a road trip across the United States and around the world. You’ll see how the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program is connecting people and creating opportunities for cross cultural learning and understanding.

Here are the people who will share their stories in our new community written posts:

• Meet current J-1 Exchange Visitors and learn about their program experiences and adventures in the United States. J-1s are located in cities big and small across the country, and they are giving back to their communities through volunteerism, supporting local industries through their work, and creating lasting friendships and ties with their American friends and colleagues.
• Learn from J-1 Alumni worldwide and see how they are leveraging the skills and knowledge they gained in the United States during their exchange programs. J-1 Alumni return home to run their own businesses, address global challenges, and enact positive change in their local communities. Meet and be inspired by these incredible leaders and change makers.
• Visit local communities and see how they come together to support, learn, and promote J-1s living in their cities and towns. Many go above and beyond because they believe in the J-1 experience. This includes our network of homestay families, host employers, and host organizations where J-1s work, live, study, teach, do research, share their specialized skills, or receive on-the-job training.

Check back each week for a new post and new perspectives. Now, let’s get this journey started. The Route J-1 road trip will be a life-changing experience.

Sincerely,

The Route J-1 Team

Categories: Program Spotlight

Deputy Assistant Secretary Robin Lerner with EGLI Corps Fellows (From left to right:  Atlas Corps CEO Scott Beale, Fellow Farhad Ahmed Jarral, Fellow Mayada Hassanain Osman, Deputy Assistant Secretary Robin Lerner, Special Advisor for Global Youth Issues Andy Rabens, Fellow Olga Smolenchuk, and Fellow Anna-Kim Robinson.)

The J-1 Exchange Visitor Program provides the U.S. Department of State endless ways to create innovative partnerships and meaningful programs for young professionals around the world. Today, I would like to tell you about an interesting and inspiring public-private partnership the State Department has, thanks to the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program. Last month, we celebrated the one year anniversary of the Emerging Global Leader Initiative (EGLI) – Atlas Corps Fellowship. This fellowship was created as part of President Obama’s Stand with Civil Society agenda. Through this partnership, the State Department committed to working with Atlas Service Corps to bring 100 of the world’s emerging civil society professionals to the United States for 12-month professional fellowship programs under the J-1 training program.  The fellowship offers full funding for training programs in civil society, non-profit, and for-profit enterprises, and it exposes the fellows to cutting edge best practices, while incorporating the participants into perhaps the most important network of their lives.

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Categories: Program Spotlight

New Year’s is a time to reflect and reminisce about the past year and to look to the year ahead with new goals and resolutions. In the spirit of the season, let’s take a moment to reflect on some of the accomplishments of the Exchange Visitor Program over the past year.

• We’ve seen community groups embrace and expand the reach of the program.
• We’ve worked with over 1,420 sponsors (for-profit, non-profit, federal, state, and local government entities) to create the best possible experiences for participants.
• We’ve built new networks with leaders of other countries to strengthen important bilateral relationships and strengthen the program.
• And we’ve provided opportunities for almost 275,000 foreign visitors to experience the United States, its society and culture, while engaging with Americans.

Let’s look back at some of the highlights from this amazing year:

Assistant Secretary Ryan and Under Secretary for North American Affairs for the Government of Mexico Sergio Alcocer sign the Memorandum of Understanding

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Categories: Program Spotlight