Be sure to check out these year-end reflections of our work through the lens of our newest team member!
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On September 23-24, 2023, Global Ties San Francisco hosted Career Connections San Francisco, a two-day capacity-building and professional development seminar tailored for U.S. alumni of government-sponsored exchange programs. In partnership with Global Ties U.S. and the Office of Alumni Affairs in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, our Technology and Entrepreneurship-themed event provided an unparalleled platform for 51 ExchangeAlumni to leverage their exchange experience and skills and to build their professional and community impact.
Through hands-on sessions on personal branding, entrepreneurship, inclusivity in tech, grant writing, and variations in career pathways, alumni attendees explored how to break into tech careers and translate their international exchange experiences to success in the workplace. Career Connections San Francisco also showcased our community and cultural centers such as San Francisco’s Chinatown — the largest and oldest in the nation — through off-site visits and an evening reception.
Global Ties San Francisco is currently accepting applications for Spring 2024 internships (fully remote and hybrid).
Embrace this opportunity to cultivate cross-cultural communication and diplomacy skills, while refining written and oral communication, research, and analytical abilities. Become a member of our team and contribute to the success of international delegation visits. Interns provide critical programmatic support through community outreach, research, representation in sessions for our visiting dignitaries, and social media content creation.
Global Ties San Francisco implements the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), along with a variety of other international exchange programs, bringing over 700 visitors to the San Francisco Bay Area annually. A core offering for our visitors that is often regarded as the most impactful part of their exchange experience is Home Hospitality—the opportunity to enjoy a meal with local residents. The success of our international exchange programs would not be possible without our amazing Citizen Diplomats who open their homes to visitors, providing a welcoming window into life in the U.S., and creating lasting memories and connections. These Citizen Diplomats, called Home Hospitality Hosts, know that nothing sets a table for mutual understanding better than sharing a meal.
Exciting news! Global Ties San Francisco is thrilled to announce the newest addition to our team, Oli Vorster! As International Program Coordinator, Oli will play a crucial role in developing transformative experiences for international visitors on behalf of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).
Expo 2020 Dubai, which ran from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, was the first World Expo (formerly, World’s Fair) held in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia region. It served as a global platform for unveiling inventions, ideas, and inspirations for positive change and a sustainable future.
The USA Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai highlighted the rich talent of the United States through the Youth Ambassadors and Cultural Performers programs. In partnership with the U.S. Department of State and Global Ties U.S., Global Ties San Francisco — along with other members of the Global Ties U.S. Network — helped bring to life the USA Pavilion’s theme, Connecting Minds, Creating the Future. By showcasing the nation’s history, innovation, and vibrant geographic and cultural diversity through its people, the USA Pavilion demonstrated how collaboration and the exchange of ideas spark innovation and progress in new and exciting ways.
From September 2020 to March 2021, we collaborated with Global Ties U.S. to support grassroots recruitment efforts by identifying individuals in our local community to serve as Youth Ambassadors and Cultural Performers at the USA Pavilion and guiding them through the application process. While Youth Ambassadors — the Faces of America — served as guides and cultural representatives of the United States and its territories to millions of Expo visitors, Cultural Performers showcased their talents across a variety of disciplines in reflection of the cultural diversity of the nation.
Together, Global Ties U.S. and its nationwide Network recruited 75 Youth Ambassadors representing 37 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, along with 310 Cultural Performers representing 40 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
In October 2016, Global Ties San Francisco hosted the Our Planet: National Parks and National Monuments in the United States delegation from Germany. Sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Berlin and administered by Cultural Vistas, this exchange sought to provide German park rangers with a deeper understanding of how the U.S. National Park System manages biodiversity, information and education, and history and culture preservation throughout its collection of parks. Coinciding with the centennial of the U.S. National Park Service, this 2016 study and exchange trip featured an interdisciplinary group of eight representatives of German national parks, EUROPARC Deutschland, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Over twelve days, the group traveled to Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and California, visiting several historical sites and national monuments along the way.
Global Ties San Francisco arranged the group’s discussions on preservation, park management and strategic partnerships, public relations, community engagement and education, and youth stewardship with professional peers at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy — both headquartered at Fort Mason, a former U.S. military installment — and at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. The visit also included hospitality and cultural programming for the group — starting with an afternoon taking in the grandeur of Muir Woods National Monument, named after naturalist John Muir.
