Camp Global began in 2020 as a method of maintaining connections in the age of Covid, and it was, without a doubt, a huge success. Still, Camp Global 2021 somehow turned out even better. With campers from seven countries and a reimagined curriculum, the camp became something completely new and different, creating a unique learning...
As everything began to shut down a year ago, a wave started to rise on social media with the hashtag #ExchangesMatter. It seemed as it became apparent that in-person exchanges were at least temporarily a thing of the past. Many became afraid that people would forget the importance of exchanges. Yet, 18 months later, we...
How much fun, learning, and reflection time is possible in two weeks? Teen participants with the U.S. Department of State’s Youth Ambassadors exchange found out when they traveled to Northwest Florida. For two weeks in January & February 2020, students from Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua plunged into discussions, site visits, cultural activities, and...
In June 2019, Gulf Coast Diplomacy hosted a visitor from Mozambique who works to combat human trafficking. He was in the region as a participant of the International Visitor Leadership Program, an exchange program of the U.S. Department of State which works to connect young leaders from around the world with their professional counterparts in...
Seven visitors from Georgia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, Slovakia, and Tajikistan came to Pensacola in June 2019 to discover how small-to-medium-sized communities handle cyberbullying. The project’s title was 21st Century Changemakers: Be Best: Strategies for Combating Cyberbullying. World Learning coordinated the national itinerary. Several weekend activities introduced the group to our community. Gulf Coast Diplomacy...
After the tumultuous year of 2020, 2021 has brought some good news for two of our Youth Diplomats. Anne Pratt and Manuela Palacio will participate in international exchange programs sponsored by the U.S. Department! Anna Pratt will participate in the National Security Language Initiative (NSLI-Y). NSLI-Y is a U.S. Department of State program designed to...
This year, we asked current and former Youth Diplomats how they viewed their participation in our program. From their responses, we are happy to share many feel their time with us has positively impacted their lives. Though not every Youth Diplomat plans to pursue a degree in international relations, this program has inspired them to...
On May 11, Gulf Coast Diplomacy welcomed Jamal Benhamou to speak at a Small World Cafe on the Amazigh people of his native country, Morocco. Over the course of the hour, Benhamou shared everything from basic aspects of culture, such as food and fashion, to modern challenges that the Amazigh people face in Morocco. Spread...
This spring, we had the privilege of hosting retired U.S. Army General John Adams as part of our Small World Café series. During this time, he shared his experience working overseas. In particular, he spoke of his service on five U.S. Embassy Country Teams and the U.S. Delegation to the NATO Military Committee and of...
This spring, I participated in a panel discussion on education in the time of Covid-19 with a group from Poland (click for YouTube recording). Led by International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) alumnus Artur Krawczyk and facilitated by Grzegorz Nawrocki of the British Alumni Society, panelists included educators, administrators, and students from Poland and the United...
