By: Jacqueline Aguirre De La O, Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund (CDAF) Intern
The Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund (CDAF) is a grants competition for teams of ExchangeAlumni to carry out public service projects that make an impact on communities here in the United States and around the world. This month, we’re highlighting four projects focused on cultural diplomacy. These projects were presented during the virtual #CDAF2024 Showcase this past November (see recording HERE) and learn more about the projects below. All photos provided by the project teams.
Cosmos Photo Camp
Camp participants look through telescopes.
Cosmos Photo Camp engaged semi-nomadic youth in Kyrgyzstan’s remote Son-Kol summer pastures in astronomy related activities to spark their interest in science. The project was led by Sophie Dia Pegrum, alumna of the Fulbright National Geographic Fellowship and Eleanor Pugh, alumna of the National Security Language Initiative for Youth.
The project leads traveled to the yurt camps in Son-Kol where they hosted a four-day camp for 16 youth to learn about the cosmos, build confidence and resilience, and develop photography and storytelling skills.
During the photo camp, most students were introduced to telescopes for the first time and used balloons to create their solar systems. They also collaborated with the U.S. organization, Art4Development.net to create photo essays and reflect on what it meant to live in a remote environment.
Sophie mentioned their goal was to “use the sky to inspire and spark an interest in science and provide a way for students to express themselves and create tangible memories of their experience.” The team hopes to use this camp as a pilot project to bring together cosmos and storytelling elsewhere in Kyrgyzstan and around the world. Checkout more information about the project HERE.
Global Language Cafes
Participants gather at a language cafe session in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Global Language Cafes project fostered cross-cultural connections and language learning by bringing together diverse communities in local immigrant owned coffee shops across Louisville, KY. The project was led by Monica Lakhwani, alumna of the Fulbright-Hays Program, and Jessica Sanders, alumna of the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program.
Louisville is home to an immigrant population representing more than 100 nations and 150 spoken languages. For eight weeks, 30 participants attended weekly language workshops to enhance their speaking skills in languages such as Arabic, Spanish, and Vietnamese, and share one another’s couture, while supporting family-owned cafes and restaurants.
The team is collaborating with local Louisville constituents and organizations to continue the language cafes in spring 2025, and nonprofit Actors Theatre is providing a funding extension to continue the project for another 14 weeks to incorporate the languages into the upcoming plays in town. More information about the project HERE.
Uniendo Jóvenes con la Música
Students participate in song writing and voice recording sessions.
Uniendo Jóvenes con la Música (UJM) promoted wellbeing and community resilience for middle and high school students from San Salvador, El Salvador through music. The project was led by Jeffrey Thiele alumnus of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and Marcela Vega, alumna of the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI).
Working with the local NGO, Glasswing International, the team implemented a Club Glee after school program for 26 students from two schools to help them with the music creation process. The six-day program included training on song writing, song recording, and audio production, and helped students take their emotions and translate them into concrete songs and rhythms with the assistance of volunteer musicians, psychologists, and producers. Students reported the music program helped them foster mental health and strategic thinking skills. The post-project evaluation showed that the students’ resiliency score increased by 10 points.
Since the conclusion of the project, Electronica 2001, a guitar center in El Salvador, expressed interest in sponsoring UJM program with musical equipment and Glasswing International will continue to work with project leads to create future programs like UJM in El Salvador and other Latin America countries. Jeffrey and Marcela, plan to create an NGO that will provide funding avenues for future programs like UJM.
Young Eco-Stars Program (YES-P)
Participant from the YES-P closing.
The Young Eco-Stars Program (YES-P) empowered 60 students from Indonesia, Nigeria, and the United States to increase climate change awareness amongst high school and university students. The project was led by Amy Sit, alumna of the Soliya Global Circles and Fnu Samintang, alumna of the Study of the U.S. Institutes.
The hybrid exchange program discussed the impacts of climate change and equipped participants to develop both leadership skills and eco-friendly initiatives that tackle climate change issues in their communities. YES-P had 23 volunteers from 10+ different countries and 9 ExchangeAlumni participants who served as guest speakers, and included a virtual exchange expo to encourage intercultural conversations among participants. This project promoted cultural diplomacy by guiding students from different nations to take action towards climate change issues in their local communities and globally.
In post-program surveys, 71% of the participants said this program made a significant impact on their personal and professional development. The team now plans to create a YES-P alumni network to connect volunteers and participants and extend the program’s impact. Learn more HERE.