By Les Antonio Sena Lopez, Senior Manager, Program Support of TeachUSA
On October 13th and 14th, Greenheart staff attended the Alliance for International Exchange’s Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. There, we met with our colleagues across the cultural exchange industry, congressional staffers, leadership from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and more to learn about best practices for our programs and to discuss the future of exchanges.
The Alliance for International Exchange, of which Greenheart is a member, advocates and builds awareness of cultural exchange programs. It has spearheaded many successful initiatives including Americans for Cultural Exchange, The International Exchange newsletter, and its annual member conference that took place two weeks ago.
The theme of the conference “Exchanges Are America”, captures the essence of exchange programs as being an integral part of American strength and prosperity. These fundamentals were well-reflected in conference programming and the discussions that followed.
On October 13th, Alliance Executive Director, Mark Overmann, kicked off the conference with an interview of Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Cate Dillon, about her vision for the future of exchange programs. The Alliance then provided its members with important updates on the state of the organization, followed by an impressive panel of congressional staffers regarding support for exchanges on Capitol Hill. We also heard from ECA Senior Leadership and had the opportunity to connect and collaborate with them on our most significant issues.
Day two of the conference began with valuable discussions from foreign policy experts regarding the power of exchange programs towards public diplomacy. Attendees then joined various concurrent workshops led by industry specialists to identify and improve programmatic best practices. Finally, we were energized and inspired by former professional soccer player, Joanna Lohman, in a closing keynote.
Following the conference, Greenheart staff are feeling invigorated to grow support for our programs, to uplift the many successes of our amazing stakeholders, and to share the impact they are having towards a more prosperous America.
Greenheart Senior Director of Marketing and External Relations, Haldis Toppen, had this to say about the experience: “Empowered. Motivated. Excited!! There were many lessons learned, but I would say that my big takeaway is that we need to engage with alumni more. I’m also thinking of the words that Temuujin Khosbayar said at our Greenheart Global Leaders Conference in July: ‘Leave to Learn. Return to Build.’ Inspired by everything the Alliance shared last week and can’t wait to get more work done in the industry.”
Lindsay Marsh-Coleman, Greenheart’s Director of the Intern and Trainee Program, shared: “The conference was a great opportunity to connect directly with Department of State leadership, industry experts, and peers from across the international exchange community. Beyond the important policy and advocacy discussions, it offered valuable opportunities to share best practices, strengthen partnerships, and reconnect with colleagues who share a commitment to international exchange and cultural diplomacy.”
We have seen the proven, positive economic impact of our programs on local communities across the United States as well as the indisputable value towards our national security. Through these insights, we aim to grow our support network so that we may fortify exchange programs as an emblem of mutual understanding and global peace. We value our partnership with the Alliance and our attendance at conferences such as these for allowing Greenheart to learn, adapt, and improve throughout a dynamic industry and complex political climate. We are excited to put these learnings into action, creating the best experiences possible for our stakeholders across all our programs!