When international visitors come to Pensacola, Florida, not only do they explore their fields of expertise through formal meetings, but they also frequently volunteer in roles to enhance our community. From feeding the hungry to building living shorelines, they contribute in many ways. Zachary Schang with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection always welcomes our volunteers whenever their itineraries call for such an experience.
Schang has been collaborating with Gulf Coast Diplomacy for about ten years. He has spoken with many international visitors about volunteerism and led them in environmental projects. For example, our visitors have contributed time and sweat equity to the region’s living shoreline alongside local volunteers. These experiences have allowed for new levels of intercultural learning and communication.
IVLP visitors are involved in exceptional work in their home countries. Many become leaders in their fields or even heads of state. Schang described how he is constantly impressed with everything these people have accomplished, to the point where speaking with them can even be intimidating. Each time though, he notices how down-to-earth the visitors are, a point that particularly shines through when these future leaders are doing manual volunteer work in our local waterways. Through these activities, Schang has a remarkable opportunity to show a different side of the United States to our visitors and to learn about a different side of them.
This volunteer work has also allowed for fun bursts of connection to come through. Schang grinned as he spoke of a time he had a group helping with a big grassy backyard. They saw a soccer ball lying in the grass as they were leaving. A pickup game of soccer, or football, had begun within thirty seconds. In this group, no one spoke the same language, yet everyone had a wonderful time enjoying a short game of a sport that can be found worldwide. Schang described how there was a “spark” that lit up the eyes of everyone playing. In these small moments, even though they have little to do with the professional purposes of the visit, it is easy to see how simple yet important these examples of connection can be.
When on these IVLP visits, most appointments are indoor, professional meetings, making these outdoor volunteer activities all the more unique. Schang has the opportunity to learn more about these visitors on a personal level. Through his time interacting with these groups, he has discovered that the world is often much smaller than it initially appears, and everybody has the opportunity to make a significant impact. Just as visitors from all around the world have worked on Pensacola’s living shoreline, each individual can change the life of someone else, a wonderful lesson to learn from something as simple as citizen diplomacy.
