Route J-1

By Gisela Nilsson, Cultural Care Au Pair sponsor organization

Au pairs, community coordinators, and staff in front of Education First (EF) Center

“It looked so clean, but when you start looking, you find all sorts of things hidden,” one of the au pairs exclaimed as she meandered along the winding banks of the Charles River, collecting trash and other debris with fellow au pairs and community members.

Cultural Care Au Pair staff, community coordinators, and au pairs joined the Charles River Watershed Association to clean up around the Charles River in Cambridge, Massachusetts this past spring. The Charles River used to be one of the dirtiest rivers in the country but has improved greatly thanks to efforts by the association and volunteers. Bags upon bags of trash were collected, and the clean-up team felt the accomplishment of their work. “I really enjoyed hanging out with other au pairs while helping clean up in the sunshine,” said one of the au pairs.

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Categories: Program Spotlight

By Adriana Kusnirova, CCI Greenheart Senior Partner Relations Manager

J-1 participants attend the Weaving Watersheds project, a community-based Interactive, impermanent art experience.

In south central Alaska, the fishing community of Cordova cares so deeply about our oceans that you can’t escape the theme for even an hour while in town. A number of Summer Work Travel participants are also there this summer, experiencing Alaskan culture in this community tucked between the Prince William Sound and the Copper River watershed.

“Our Ocean” is an initiative led by Secretary of State John Kerry to raise awareness about ocean-related issues around the world, such as marine pollution and sustainable fishing. At Greenheart International, we believe in the importance of protecting all parts of our environment – so this is an initiative we are excited about!

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Categories: Program Spotlight

By Lynette Evans-Tiernan, Director of Communication and Outreach for J-1 Program

Have you ever stood on the beach with your toes nestled in the grainy sand, looking out at the vastness of the ocean’s awe inspiring beauty while listening to the soothing sounds of the waves as they crash against the shore? It’s a calming experience that always makes me feel reconnected to the natural world and Mother Nature.

We live on a blue planet. The ocean covers three-quarters of the Earth’s surface and provides 99% of the Earth’s living space. Not only is the ocean a shared resource that connects people – physically, culturally and spiritually – but it is also a driving force in the global economy, pivotal to food security, human health and scientific advancement, and home to a vast ecosystem that regulates climate and weather.

Our blue planet is fragile. It’s at grave risk – and it’s not happening by accident. Human activity is the cause. Rising levels of carbon dioxide are causing our oceans to acidify. Pollution endangers marine life. Overfishing threatens whole species as well as the people who depend on them for food and their livelihoods.

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Categories: Program Spotlight

By Trish, J-1 Intern from the Philippines

Trish posing in front of American flags

The J-1 Exchange Visitor Trainee Program has changed my life in many ways. It has allowed me to enhance my communication skills and I have learned how to multitask in a fast paced environment. I have met a lot of people from countries all over the world with different cultures, traditions, customs and beliefs, and many of them became my close friends.

Like most J-1 participants would say, this has been a life changing experience for me, not only in my professional career, but also in helping me build my interpersonal skills. Before I arrived in the United States, I had stage fright. I would literally start shaking if I stood up in front of a crowd. But when I started working at Kalahari Resorts, I was able to overcome my fear. I can’t believe that I now run the orientation for J-1 Work & Travel participants. I was also able to speak at the Wisconsin Dells and Lake Delton International Student Consortium to share my experiences. This was a very unforgettable experience for me because I never thought that I would be talking in front of foreigners without feeling shy. I have gained confidence and self-esteem through this program.

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Categories: Program Spotlight

By Daniel Grave, J-1 Summer Work Travel Alumni from the United Kingdom

Daniel Grave representing team UK at California Cup in Santa Barbara

Beginning in 1990 as a student from Portsmouth University, I spent two summers on the J-1 program with a good friend of mine.  It was the beginning of a journey that led to starting my own business, which last year served over 200,000 clients and is quickly growing to a world wide brand.

This was a unique J-1 program where I began to develop my entrepreneurial skills selling educational books door to door in the United States.  At first, I was a bit skeptical about going off to run my own business in America, but as my friend had done it before and the Southwestern program had been around since 1868, I thought I’d give it a shot.

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Categories: Program Spotlight

By Lauren Aitken, Cultural Vistas sponsor organization

Papa Oppong reviews designs at the DC Fashion Foundation Incubator

After designing a collection in collaboration with Swarovski and interning for Rosario Dawson, people knew that Papa Oppong, a Ghanaian fashion designer, would go places. But it wasn’t until his U.S. internship at the DC Fashion Foundation that he found his passion project: combatting Malaria through fashion. Read More ›

Categories: Program Spotlight

Pack your bags, grab your passports, and start your engines. The Route J-1 blog is back with a new and exciting line-up of stories, directly from the J-1 Exchange Visitor community. Join us as we take a road trip across the United States and around the world. You’ll see how the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program is connecting people and creating opportunities for cross cultural learning and understanding.

Here are the people who will share their stories in our new community written posts:

• Meet current J-1 Exchange Visitors and learn about their program experiences and adventures in the United States. J-1s are located in cities big and small across the country, and they are giving back to their communities through volunteerism, supporting local industries through their work, and creating lasting friendships and ties with their American friends and colleagues.
• Learn from J-1 Alumni worldwide and see how they are leveraging the skills and knowledge they gained in the United States during their exchange programs. J-1 Alumni return home to run their own businesses, address global challenges, and enact positive change in their local communities. Meet and be inspired by these incredible leaders and change makers.
• Visit local communities and see how they come together to support, learn, and promote J-1s living in their cities and towns. Many go above and beyond because they believe in the J-1 experience. This includes our network of homestay families, host employers, and host organizations where J-1s work, live, study, teach, do research, share their specialized skills, or receive on-the-job training.

Check back each week for a new post and new perspectives. Now, let’s get this journey started. The Route J-1 road trip will be a life-changing experience.

Sincerely,

The Route J-1 Team

Categories: Program Spotlight

Deputy Assistant Secretary Robin Lerner with EGLI Corps Fellows (From left to right:  Atlas Corps CEO Scott Beale, Fellow Farhad Ahmed Jarral, Fellow Mayada Hassanain Osman, Deputy Assistant Secretary Robin Lerner, Special Advisor for Global Youth Issues Andy Rabens, Fellow Olga Smolenchuk, and Fellow Anna-Kim Robinson.)

The J-1 Exchange Visitor Program provides the U.S. Department of State endless ways to create innovative partnerships and meaningful programs for young professionals around the world. Today, I would like to tell you about an interesting and inspiring public-private partnership the State Department has, thanks to the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program. Last month, we celebrated the one year anniversary of the Emerging Global Leader Initiative (EGLI) – Atlas Corps Fellowship. This fellowship was created as part of President Obama’s Stand with Civil Society agenda. Through this partnership, the State Department committed to working with Atlas Service Corps to bring 100 of the world’s emerging civil society professionals to the United States for 12-month professional fellowship programs under the J-1 training program.  The fellowship offers full funding for training programs in civil society, non-profit, and for-profit enterprises, and it exposes the fellows to cutting edge best practices, while incorporating the participants into perhaps the most important network of their lives.

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Categories: Program Spotlight

Today, we continue to highlight some of our favorite J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program memories from 2015. We’re looking back and celebrating all that we’ve accomplished. See how community groups and host organizations embraced and expanded the reach of the program, sponsors created the best possible experience for participants, and participants enacted positive change in their local communities.

Here are more highlights from 2015 – an amazing year:

In New York City, J-1 participants came out to enjoy the day while cleaning up Riverside Park.

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Categories: Program Spotlight

New Year’s is a time to reflect and reminisce about the past year and to look to the year ahead with new goals and resolutions. In the spirit of the season, let’s take a moment to reflect on some of the accomplishments of the Exchange Visitor Program over the past year.

• We’ve seen community groups embrace and expand the reach of the program.
• We’ve worked with over 1,420 sponsors (for-profit, non-profit, federal, state, and local government entities) to create the best possible experiences for participants.
• We’ve built new networks with leaders of other countries to strengthen important bilateral relationships and strengthen the program.
• And we’ve provided opportunities for almost 275,000 foreign visitors to experience the United States, its society and culture, while engaging with Americans.

Let’s look back at some of the highlights from this amazing year:

Assistant Secretary Ryan and Under Secretary for North American Affairs for the Government of Mexico Sergio Alcocer sign the Memorandum of Understanding

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Categories: Program Spotlight