The Washington, DC-based nonprofit Global Ties U.S., in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Alumni Affairs in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is pleased to announce the 2024 lineup of the Career Connections professional development seminars taking place in three cities across the United States.
Career Connections seminars bring together U.S. citizen exchange program alumni of U.S. government-sponsored or funded international exchange programs and leaders in the business, government, civil society, and nonprofit sectors to further global engagement opportunities and build on their exchange experiences. Funded by the U.S. Department of State and implemented by Global Ties U.S. in collaboration with local Community-Based Members (CBMs), the seminars offer the chance to bolster hard and soft skills for rising leaders working in international exchanges.
There are three in-person events planned this year:
- April 25-27 | Miami, FL | Forging Your Own Path
Hosted in partnership with Global Ties Miami
**Application opening in late February*
- Late June | Washington, DC | Careers in Federal Government
*Note: The Washington, DC event occurs annually at the U.S. Department of State.
- September 26-27 | Detroit, MI [Theme TBC]
Hosted in partnership with Global Ties Detroit
“Career Connections seminars are a fantastic resource for U.S. citizen Exchange Alumni to connect and build on their global experience,” said Global Ties U.S. President & CEO Katherine Brown, Ph.D. “As demonstrated in our recently released Community Impact Study, international exchange programs humanize global connections, encourage local civic engagement and community inclusion, and foster developing new professional skills and career opportunities. “We are thrilled that our work with the Office of Alumni Affairs and with Global Ties Network members across the country provides a platform to raise alumni voices in their local communities, and to forge new connections that expand their exchange impact.”
“U.S. government-sponsored exchange program alumni will find tools to strengthen and invest in their respective communities and our world at Career Connections,” said Madelina Young-Smith, Director of the Office of Alumni Affairs in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. “The conclusion of an exchange program isn’t the end of the experience, rather the beginning of a lifetime connection with the U.S. government and a global network of more than two million alumni. Through our partnership with Global Ties U.S., we commit to investing in the professional growth of our alumni from across the United States and supporting them as they harness the power of their exchange experience to create positive impact in this 21st century.”
With more than 500,000 U.S. citizen Exchange Alumni in the United States and around the world, the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Alumni Affairs opens the door to alumni networking, professional development, and the many opportunities that exist in citizen diplomacy. In addition to Career Connections, the partnership with Global Ties U.S. includes the Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund (CDAF), a small grants competition for exchange program alumni to carry out public service projects; the Impact of Exchange exhibit, a traveling photography exhibition featuring stories and photos from U.S. citizen Exchange Alumni; and asynchronous learning content.
More Information
Global Ties U.S. powers individuals, communities, and nations to build trust and advance peace and prosperity through international exchange. It is a nonprofit partner of the U.S. Department of State and supports a community-based network of 90+ nonprofit organizations serving all 50 U.S. states. Global Ties U.S. members are exchange professionals who provide the domestic infrastructure for U.S. public diplomacy efforts, implementing the International Visitor Leadership Program and a wide variety of educational, cultural, and professional exchange programs.
The Office of Alumni Affairs in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs The Office of Alumni Affairs cultivates and extends the impact of U.S. government funded and sponsored educational and cultural exchange programs through continued engagement with alumni of these programs. This dynamic global network of millions of ExchangeAlumni includes current and former heads of state, Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, Olympic athletes, award-winning artists, and untold numbers of community leaders and changemakers around the world.
The Office of Alumni Affairs collaborates with U.S. embassies and consulates abroad to leverage the expertise, energy, and enthusiasm of exchange alumni in support of shared goals. Domestically, The Office of Alumni Affairs works with implementing partners to support U.S. citizen Exchange Alumni in leveraging the impact of their exchange experiences after returning to the United States. Every day, Exchange Alumni make a difference in their communities and around the world in health care, entrepreneurship, civic engagement, volunteerism, the democratic process, technology, and much more.