Monthly Archives: August 2014

As part of my job as Executive Director of IVPA, I occasionally get to visit our member programs and see volunteers in action. Visiting with communities and volunteers is one of my favorite things. Last week I was in Oaxaca and was able to spend the day with IVPA member organization, Amigos de las Américas.

AMIGOS is an amazing organization that has a long legacy volunteering. They are celebrating their 50-year anniversary this year! AMIGOS’ mission is to inspire and build young leaders through collaborative community development and immersion in cross-cultural experiences. AMIGOS primarily works with high school and university students on summer projects and recently expanded to have semester and gap year programs.

I first met up with Amigos de las Américas’ Oaxaca Project Director, Emma Smith. We discussed her role and the different programs that she helps manage. Emma brings a lot of experience to her role and was even an AMIGOS volunteer in high school, only to return to work for the organization after receiving her master’s degree. Emma manages 35 volunteers in Oaxaca. Emma’s responsibilities when visiting a community include meeting with local officials, host families, partner organizations, and volunteers to make sure any problems or issues have been properly addressed.

That day we were meeting up with Supervisor, Rani Kumar and together we would take a colectivo taxi to the rural community of Santo Tomas Mazaltepec, about an hour away from Oaxaca. Rani is a university student and returned AMIGOS volunteer who in her role as supervisor visits volunteers weekly in their communities.

In Santo Tomas Mazaltepec there are two teenage AMIGOS volunteers. These volunteers get a full immersive experience, living with a host family and working with community partners and local youth volunteers. I was particularly impressed with their level of maturity, their language skills, and their dedication to the work.

The AMIGOS volunteers have been working with a partner organization, Puente a la Salud Comunitaria. Puente is a nonprofit that trains community promoters who teach healthy cooking and nutrition and also run a summer lunch program for the local children. What I loved about Puente was that they actively work to introduce the native amaranth grain that is full of vitamins and amino acids, teaching families how to cook with it.

In addition to their work with Puente, the AMIGOS volunteers also work along side local youth to brainstorm, plan and execute a “micro project”. In the community of Mazaltepec the youth chose to develop a game night and to stock the library with games, some purchased and some created.

It was so fun to AMIGOS volunteers at work and to see their staff coordinating and working with the community and partner organization leaders.

Thanks AMIGOS for letting me witness the great work you are doing.

Global Citizens Network and Intercultural Student Experiences Announce Launch of Global Learners Grant and 2014 Recipients

Minneapolis – July 29, 2014 – Global Citizens Network (GCN) and Intercultural Student

Experiences (ISE), a nonprofit alliance dedicated to increasing cross-cultural understanding and cooperation, have named five Minnesota high schools as recipients of Global Learners Grants. The recipients—The FAIR School, Minneapolis; High School for Recording Arts, St. Paul; New Century Academy, Hutchinson; Wadena-Deer Creek High School, Wadena; and Washington Technology Secondary Magnet, St. Paul—were selected from a pool of eligible applicants. In its inaugural year, the GCN-ISE Global Learners Grant program will provide a total of $200,000 that will enable more than 50 students to participate in immersion and cross-cultural education programs in East Africa, Thailand, Costa Rica and China in 2015.

In response to increasing demand for international and cross-cultural student learning experiences, the Global Learners Grant program is designed to expand opportunities for high school students and teachers to participate in short-term cultural and/or language immersion programs abroad. Global Learners Grants are awarded to Minnesota high schools that serve predominantly low-income student populations and currently have limited or no organized opportunities for students to participate in such global experiences.

“We developed the Global Learners Grant program as a way to provide meaningful cross-cultural experiences for students and teachers who might otherwise not have such opportunities. Participating in these cross-cultural experiences at a young age has provento be beneficial in many ways, including improved language, communication, leadership and problem-solving skills, as well as increased employment and earning potential in the future,” said Steve Struthers, executive director for GCN and ISE. “We are very excited to launch and grow this initiative to further expand access to cross-cultural exchange experiences for high schools in the region.”

About Global Citizens Network (GCN) & Intercultural Student Experiences (ISE): GCN and ISE are two strategically aligned, Minneapolis-based nonprofit organizations with more than 60 years of combined experience working to increase cross-cultural understanding and and cooperation.

• GCN facilitates international and domestic volunteer travel programs for individuals, families and groups, including academic programs for high schools and universities. These programs offer opportunities to live and work with members of indigenous communities who have long-standing relationships with GCN, in a culturally rich and respectful immersion experience.

Complementing the international programs, GCN also offers local programs that provide Twin Cities residents Spanish language training led by native speakers, from beginning to advanced levels, and educational forums for understanding the cultures, histories and issues affecting indigenous and international populations.

• ISE coordinates international language immersion programs for K-12 students of French, German, Mandarin and Spanish. Through unique travel itineraries and family stay experiences, ISE programs emphasize language practice and acquisition while providing authentic cultural and linguistic immersion.

ISE also facilitates U.S. hosting programs that allow international high school students to experience United States culture and improve their English language skills while living with volunteer U.S. host families.

• The GCN-ISE alliance also provides training and consulting services to individuals and organizations seeking to enhance their effectiveness in cross-cultural engagement.

To learn more about GCN and ISE, please visit www.globalcitizens.org and www.isemn.org.

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