2023: A year of exceptional education and exchange WORLD LEARNING Photo essay

Across World Learning education and exchange programs, students and participants are exposed to different cultures, traditions, and ideas; learn new skills; and gain knowledge and broader world perspectives. Each year, they expand their social and professional networks and apply new lessons in their home communities.

As the year comes to a close, World Learning takes a look at some of our favorite moments that exemplified the way students and participants in our programs worked to build a more sustainable, peaceful, and just world.

Youth Ambassadors

The Youth Ambassadors Program brings together high school students and adult mentors from across the Western Hemisphere to promote mutual understanding, increase leadership skills, and prepare youth to make a difference in their communities.

Youth Ambassadors to Ecuador in a workshop reflecting on being a global citizen in an ever-evolving global context.

Youth Ambassadors participating in a volunteer community clean-up in with a non-profit in Brazil.

Fulbright Specialist Program

The Fulbright Specialist Program is an opportunity for U.S. academics and established professionals to engage in two- to six-week, project-based exchanges at host institutions across the globe.

Fulbright Specialist Dr. Kathy Wood (left) and Fulbright Civil Society Researcher Hristina Katsipidou (right) meeting at Gallaudet University. The two worked to bring accessible education to the Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities in Bulgaria.

Global UGRAD

The Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD) enables college students from around the world to experience higher education in the U.S., gain new skills, and explore new cultures and values.

Global UGRAD participants completing community service. This past program year, Global UGRAD reported nearly 7,000 community service hours, volunteering at after-school programs, animal shelters, food banks, and park clean-ups.

Global UGRAD participants coming together to showcase their home countries' unique cultures and values in a multicultural celebration.

IDEAS Program

The Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) Program is designed to increase and diversify American student mobility in support of U.S. foreign policy goals through a grant competition and workshops.

IDEAS participants collaborating during the U.S.-ASEAN University Connections Initiative (UCI) which brought together leaders from diverse colleges and universities in the United States and ASEAN for a series of virtual and in-person trainings.

International Visitor Leadership Program

The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) brings about 4,500 visitors to the U.S. for observational study tours ranging from a period of a few days to three weeks.

IVLP participants posing together during a regional exchange that brought 14 disability rights and accessibility advocacy leaders from the Near East and North Africa to the U.S.

IVLP participants posing together in front of the Grand Teton mountains in Wyoming during a regional exchange to the U.S. to learn more about wildlife conservation.

Jóvenes en Acción

Jóvenes en Acción (Youth in Action) is a 10-month civic education and leadership program, which begins with a four-week exchange experience in the U.S. Participants are selected as project teams of four to five students from diverse communities throughout Mexico.

Jóvenes participants working together to build a raft using only barrels, ropes, and wooden planks. The activity focused on teamwork while building a project from scratch.

Jóvenes participants bonding in a group hug during program orientation at the Brattleboro, Vermont, campus of School for International Training. While on campus, participants engaged in bonding activities and problem-solving workshops.

World Learning Algeria

World Learning Algeria, one of World Learning's international offices, manages English for employment, career development, and STEM education programs for young Algerians. Over ten years, 66,109 youth have benefited from World Learning Algeria programs.

Students gaining hands-on STEM training through World Learning Algeria's STEM center, which strengthens the innovation, critical thinking, and communication skills of the Algerian workforce through direct training of youth, targeted teacher training, and community education forums and events.

World Learning Algeria's robotics team preparing for an international robotics competition.

Leaders Lead On Demand

Leaders Lead On-Demand (LLOD) strengthens the capacity of individuals and organizations to enact positive change on a local, regional, and global level through two-way professional exchanges that provide opportunities to build skills and cultivate lasting relationships.

One of the more than 100 fellows participating in the "African Descendant Social Entrepreneurship" workshop organized by Leaders Lead On-Demand. The workshop concentrated on social causes, including civil rights, community integration, and equal access to opportunity.

Leaders Lead On-Demand participants gathering for the "Exchange for Quad Think Tank Leaders" program, which brought think tank leaders together from Australia, India, Japan, and the U.S. to discuss collaboration in the greater Indo-Pacific region.

Professional Fellows Congress

The Professional Fellows Congress is an annual gathering of Professional Fellows Program alumni in Washington, DC, and implemented by World Learning. It provides opportunities for participants to highlight achievements and brainstorm ways to launch projects in their home communities based on their fellowship experiences.

129 business and community leaders representing 46 countries posing for this year's annual Professional Fellows Congress group photo.

Professional Fellows Program alumni posing together during the June Professional Fellows Congress. This year’s theme was “The Exchange Effect: Creating Global Leadership in an Uncertain World.”

U.S. Speaker Program

The U.S. Speaker Program connects U.S. embassies and consulates around the world with experts from a broad range of fields to engage international audiences, network, and exchange ideas and information.

Nancy Hayes (center right), an angel investor and coach, participating in the U.S. Speaker Program in Taiwan where she shared her expertise with indigenous entrepreneurs.

Jody Lyle (center right), a U.S. National Parks Service Officer, participating in the U.S. Speaker Program in Pakistan, where she spoke with university students, civil society representatives, and private sector partners about national park conservation.

World Learning is a global nonprofit that works to create a more sustainable, peaceful, and just world through education, cultural exchange, and locally led community building. Through a portfolio of nearly 100 programs, World Learning equips individuals and institutions with fundamental and 21st Century skills, intercultural understanding, and networks worldwide to help solve today's most pressing and complex challenges.

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