In May 2024, Olivia, a former Youth Diplomat and current undergraduate student at Georgetown University, had the opportunity to present at the VIII International Scientific-Practical Conference on Language and Literature in Modern Poly-Cultural Societies, a virtual event attended by scholars from around the world. This opportunity came through an ongoing relationship she developed in 2022...
At Gulf Coast Diplomacy, our Youth Diplomats aren’t just learning about the world—they’re engaging with it. Thanks to the power of virtual meetings, our teens are connecting face-to-face with peers and professionals from across the globe, developing real-world skills and having a blast along the way. In a recent session, our Youth Diplomats spent an...
Gulf Coast Diplomacy hosted a Congressional Office for International Leadership (COIL) delegation from Tajikistan in May 2024, focusing on an area of critical importance to the United States—cybersecurity. In Pensacola, a representative of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) had the opportunity to share valuable insights at an unclassified level about the growing cyber...
In October 2023, Dr. Jacob Shively, an Associate Professor at the University of West Florida (UWF), demonstrated how local academic leadership can enhance America’s influence on the global stage. Serving remotely as co-chair of an international conference organized by an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) alumna, Shively contributed to the 1st International Scientific-Practical Conference on...
When Americans host international visitors through the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), they often ask: What difference does this make? The answer is: more than you can imagine. In 2017, a couple in Pensacola, Florida—Mike and Karen—welcomed an IVLP participant from Nigeria into their home. During the visit, they shared stories, a meal, and a...
In February 2024, Dr. Jane Caffrey, a Distinguished Professor at the University of West Florida’s Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation (CEDB), traveled to Cancún, Mexico, to speak at the Wetlands Colloquium and meet with the Yucatán Basin Council. The invitation came from Mr. Gonzalo Merediz Alonso, an alumnus of the International Visitor Leadership Program...
The Office of International Visitors in the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has recognized First United Methodist Church’s outreach ministry, Serving the Hungry, for its outstanding generosity and commitment to international engagement through volunteerism. For the past 16 years, Serving the Hungry has welcomed hundreds of participants from the International...
On April 27, Gulf Coast Diplomacy had the pleasure of partnering with Global Ties Detroit to host a one-of-a-kind Small World Café. For the first time, the two groups brought in speakers from each region to discuss environmentalism with an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) alumna. For an hour, we heard from Genevieve Nowak from...
When Gulf Coast Diplomacy has international visitors studying human trafficking, domestic abuse, or any other women’s rights project, we frequently partner with Pace Center for Girls Escambia Santa Rosa. Through advocacy and education, they have created a strong support network for struggling young women in Florida for over 26 years. In an interview with their...
As part of my internship with Gulf Coast Diplomacy, I was fortunate to attend the Global Ties US 2021 National Meeting, online for the first time. In a five-day blur, I squeezed conference meetings and workshops in between classes. Though I was rather busy, I relished every moment. From networking with other young professionals to...
