As we prepare to return to in-person programming, we are looking back through our archives at our past exchanges for inspiration. One of our last pre-pandemic project was for two environmentalists from Costa Rica and Ghana who came our way to explore NGO management and strategies and is a great example of how the International Visitor Leadership Program facilitates connections between Northwest Florida and the world.
Barbara Albrecht, the Bream Fishermen Association President and University of West Florida Coastal Community Coordinator, helped make the visitors’ time in town stellar as she facilitated a day of their programming, giving them additional insight to the community between appointments. Norma Fields, a Gulf Coast Diplomacy volunteer, also enriched the project by serving as a facilitator for a day, adding an extra level of hospitality. To enhance their experience, during the weekend, the participants explored our region’s beauty via Pensacola Bay Cruises and had dinner in the home of Beth and Bruce Hoffman.
The visitors’ first professional stop was a site visit to the Roy Hyatt Environmental Center where students focus on science concepts and how they relate to the environment. Molly O’Connor, a teacher on a special assignment at the center, discussed how the center helps with environmental education and shared information on their programs.
They next traveled to the Jones Creek Restoration Project, a local stream restoration. While there, the group met with Environmental Analyst & Arborist Jimmie Jarratt who explained and answered questions about the endeavor. Barbara Albrecht also spoke to the two about the Bream Fishermen Association and their system for taking water quality samples. Another site visit to the Carpenter Creek Watershed centered on the use of volunteer power to assist with clean up efforts.
The IVLP participants also participated in an Ocean Hour service activity with our local Youth Diplomats & a Youth Ambassadors exchange program facilitated by Sharon Gincauskas and then went to the University of West Florida (UWF) to talk to Emily Harmon, a member of the Student Environmental Action Society (SEAS). Further time at UWF focused on the effects of the BP oil spill. The visitors also spent time at Pensacola City Hall where they were welcomed by City Council Executive Don Kraher.
While we focused on local insights, the Institute of International Education arranged the visitors’ national program, sending them also to Washington, D.C., Salt Lake City, Seattle, and New York. Our local project incorporated youth, volunteerism, site visits, hospitality, and in-depth conversations with professionals and is exactly the kind of experience we hope to continue offering as we begin planning for IVLP groups to return to Northwest Florida.
