Global Engagement

Forums for American diplomacy

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Learn from your peers.

One person travelled from India to Maryland to observe first-hand how to stop seawater from flooding agricultural areas. Another came from Greece to learn what guidance to give to young entrepreneurs wanting to help refugees. Both were participants in the U.S. State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). 

The World Trade Center Institute (WTCI) finds and coordinates professional development and cultural opportunities for IVLP participants who come to Maryland. We have been doing so since 1989, for approximately 700 people a year. We also curate similar experiences on a fee-for-service basis.

People come to learn about a range of issues – such as energy security, journalism and women’s leadership – from their counterparts. But the program is about more than that. It also focuses on understanding and appreciating new cultures.

"As we keep hoping for a more just and equitable world, we will reflect on the words shared with us today by our Iraqi brothers and sisters. Their struggle is our struggle. And we hope we gave them encouragement to keep fighting for justice.”

– Dana Moore, chief equity officer and director, Baltimore City Office of Equity and Civil Rights

Get Involved 

  • Nominate somebody to participate in the IVLP program. To do so, contact the nominee’s United States embassy. 
  • Meet with a program participant to help them hone their professional development skills and learn about your sector and culture. WTCI handles all logistics, such as transportation and translation services. 
  • Be a Homestay Hero. Host an international visitor so they can experience a typical American lifestyle in between their meetings. You will be together for some meals, as well as whatever other activities you have planned. Prior to their arrival, you will receive information on the person and their culture. WTCI will arrange all transportation and other logistics for your guest. All you need is a spare bedroom and an open mind.
  • Be a Dinner Hospitality Host. Invite up to 15 program participants over for a traditional home-cooked meal.

Upcoming Programs

  • August 9: Integrating Technology and Inquiry-Based Learning Methods in the Classroom (7 participants from Bangladesh)
  • August 10: Regional Responses to Refugee and Migration Issues (8 participants from Europe)
  • August 11: Combating Wildlife Trafficking (7 participants from Madagascar and Comoros)
  • September 13: Women and Entrepreneurship (5 participants from Chad)

  • September 13: Public Health (6 participants from Turkmenistan)

  • September 28: Best Practices in the Fight Against Corruption (9 participants from Uzbekistan)

  • September 28 - 30: Advancing the Integration of Foreign Unaccompanied Minors (10 participants from Spain)

  • October 9: Advancing Health Care Transformation - The Future of Nursing Training (6 participants from Germany) 

  • October 26: Building Influential and Impactful Ethnic Educators (7 participants from Burma)

  • November 1:  Understanding Sustainable Tourism: The Role of Marine Protected Areas in Mitigating Climate Change (10 participants from Jordan)

  • November 2: Human Rights Across the Americas (16 participants from Western Hemisphere, multiple countries)

  • November 10-18: Community Engagement and Risk Communication to the Public Health Sector (4 participants from Serbia)

  • November 16: Women and Entrepreneurship: Small Business (23 participants from multiple regions)

  • November 17-22: Prosecuting Cybercrime and Online Terrorism (6 participants from Algeria)

  • November 28: Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Management, and Volunteerism (7 participants from Algeria)

  • December 5: Promoting Climate Resilience, Economic Development, and Good Governance in the Pacific (6 participants from Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu)

  • January 20-26: Special Needs Fellowship Program (4 participants from Moldova)

  • February 7: Supporting Integration and Human Rights of Displaced Persons (5 participants from Armenia)

  • February 16-24: Women Leaders in Trade and Economics (6 participants from the Balkans)
  • March 27-28: Global Public Health Challenges (6 participants from the Western Hemisphere)
  • April 3: Development of Alternative Transport Routes (5 participants from Kazakhstan)
  • April 10: Higher Education Administration in the United States (8 participants from Cameroon)

  • May 2: Towards a More Safe and Secure World – Cooperative Efforts in Combating Transnational Crime (12 participants from Europe)

  • May 3: Transparency and Accountability in Government (4 participants from the Democratic Republic of Congo)

  • May 8-9: Education in the Digital Age (5 participants from Kyrgyzstan)

  • May 17: U.S. Energy Policy: Security, Independence, and Innovation (17 participants from multiple regions)

  • May 23: Migration in the Americas (8 participants from Latin America)   

  • June 20: Combating Trafficking in Persons (20 participants from Africa)

  • July 12-20 Open World Program: Political Prisoners (5 participants from Belarus)

Impact

$1.2 Million

Amount of money the 2019 WTCI global exchanges generated for Maryland

356

Number of WTCI
international visitors in
2023

986

Number of hours our citizen diplomats, homestay heroes and dinner hospitality hosts spent with WTCI’s international visitors in 2019

Need More Info?

For more information about global engagement at WTCI, contact Sr. Manager of Global Engagement Loren Kupferschmid.

Global Engagement Partners

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