From Exchange to Impact: IVLP Impact Awardees’ Stories

WATCH THE RECORDING HERE

Through the IVLP Impact Awards initiative, recent alumni of the International Visitor Leadership Program administer community impact projects that bring the experiences of their exchange program home to their communities and promote innovative solutions to shared global challenges.

On Wednesday, July 24, 2024, Meridian International Center hosted a virtual panel of IVLP Impact Awardees who discussed their personal journeys from participating in the IVLP program to implementing impactful projects in their home communities. They discussed lessons learned, and the lasting impact of their initiatives and shared words of wisdom for future IVLP Impact Awardees. Indira Sánchez (Mexico) moderated the panel, which featured panelists Konstantinos Vassakis (Greece), Maria Teresa Zabala Barriga (Bolivia) and Witness Ukama (Zimbabwe)

Some top takeaways from the program were:

1. Project Impact

Indira, who moderated the panel, had a project that involved a diverse array of participants, such as teachers, college students, migrants, elders, and young children and engaged these groups in various activities, including lectures, museum tours, and interactive games. Indira held more than 120 activities and involved over 7,000 participants in total! These engaging activities, including a human rights bingo game, were used as vehicles to explore, as Indira put it: "this relation between the creative process of an artist and human rights."

Konstantinos introduced his project by explaining that it "was inspired by the desire to empower young people in my region, the island of Crete...with the skills and knowledge that are necessary for sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship." Konstantinos also shared that many of the 113 participants between the ages of 13 and 18 "have been inspired to consider educational and career paths that are focused on sustainable development, reflecting the program's emphasis on creating long-term impact."

Maria Teresa explained, "This project was made specifically for Afro-Bolivian women...to wake women up, to show what a great contribution Afro-Bolivian women have had to our country." She shared how her project incorporated cultural activities to underscore the contributions of Afro-Bolivian women to Bolivian society and also to empower them to take on a more active role in the political process.

Witness discussed how his project "Digital Entrepreneurship, Financial Literacy, Value Addition, Market Access Training for Small Scale Women Farmers" shifted from his original plan of training 50 women in urban centers to traveling to various rural communities to better meet his participants' needs: "Because of the significance of the project, of the subject matter, I ended up training around 375 women farmers."

2. Project Inspiration

Before starting their IVLP Impact Award projects, each panelist participated in an IVLP exchange. They shared their experiences in the US, which motivated them to apply for the IVLP Impact Awards the following year. Indira took part in the IVLP Project Promoting Social Change through the Arts, organized by the Mississippi Consortium for International Development in partnership with Boulder Council for International Visitors and the New York Programm Branch. She mentioned that her meeting with Tom Block, founder of the International Human Rights Art Festival in New York City, was a source of inspiration for her project, and later he became a speaker in her Impact Award project activities.

Maria participated in the IVLP Project Minority Participation in the Democratic Process, organized by the American Councils for International Education, in partnership with WorldBoston, Global Minnesota, Global Santa Fe, and Global Ties ABQ. She shared that "What really impacted me (everything really) but what inspired me the most was...a meeting that we had in Boston’s City Hall with an Afro-descended council member, and I heard her experience, I saw her in her position and that inspired me that...it is possible, this dream that I have, that Afro-descended women can lead in Bolivia.”

Konstantinos' IVLP Project, "Entrepreneurship as the Engine of Prosperity and Stability - Small Business Development," was organized by Meridian International Center in partnership with the Iowa International Center and WorldChicago. Konstantinos shared his experience, stating, "During my IVLP experience in the US, I was impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit prevailing among the teenagers, who demonstrated a remarkable openness to experimentation and a resilient attitude towards failure."

Witness participated in the IVLP Project "Science and Technology Entrepreneurship," organized by the Institute of International Education in partnership with Global Orlando, Global Ties Kalamazoo, Michigan Council for Citizen Diplomacy, and Global Ties San Francisco. He spoke about his visit to San Francisco, saying, "We met with US Market Access, and we are now in partnership with them in trying to help our women farmers in Zimbabwe. My project was inspired by that experience."

3. Advice for Future Awardees

The panelists were asked if they had any advice for the 2024 cohort of IVLP Impact Awardees as they began to implement their projects worldwide, along with other IVLP alumni looking to put their experiences into practice back home. They all echoed what Konstantinos said, "My advice...is to leverage the network and the resources gained from the IVLP exchange and identify and address specific needs in their communities. I think that collaboration is key in order to engage...local stakeholders, experts and fellow alumni...to create impactful initiatives." He also mentioned the importance of feedback in improving project design. Maria Teresa agreed, noting that the fellow members of her IVLP exchange trip have proven to be excellent resources, alongside the people she met in the US. Witness also said, "In this environment, it's either you collaborate, or you perish. So, there's need to build on the IVLP networks." He also brought up the local US Embassy as an essential resource for IVLP alumni as they pursue future projects. Witness added, "[If I were] given the opportunity to start the project again, I think I would focus more on developing a robust monitoring and evaluation system from the beginning." Indira mentioned her collaboration with her fellow IVLP Impact Awardee, Mijial Rodrigo Bazoalto Medrano from Bolivia, who spoke and virtually engaged in her initiative in Mexico. Each panelist talked about the active WhatsApp groups they use to stay in touch with their fellow IVLP cohort members. Indira, Maria Teresa and Witness all mentioned ongoing collaboration within these IVLP networks, underscoring the continued impact of the connections made through the program.

“The IVLP program is not just a program, but for me it’s a catalyst for impact[ing] change” - Witness Ukama 

If you have any questions, please reach out to the IVLP Impact Awards Team at IVLPImpactAwards@meridian.org.

If interested in attending more IVLP Impact Award events, click here.