Vilnius Marathon Brings Together Different Experiences of Lithuanian Students
Posted on Thursday, October 15th, 2020 at 4:07 pm.By Emilija Buividavičiūtė, Summer Work Travel Alumni, Lithuania
Volunteering is always an exciting and valuable experience, especially when it comes to sports-related events. As Exchange Visitor Program participants, we never say no to any new opportunities. That is why when the U.S. Embassy in Lithuania invited us to volunteer in the Danske Bank Vilnius Marathon, we were very happy to help out and make our contribution as valuable as possible. It was a great opportunity to be part of one of the biggest sports event in the Baltics, to meet new people, and, of course, to have a fun and fulfilling weekend. Read More ›
Categories: Participants, Program Spotlight
Volunteering at the Vilnius Marathon: Good Fun with Good People for a Good Cause
Posted on Thursday, October 1st, 2020 at 4:58 pm.By Darius Gabrilavicius, Summer Work Travel Alumni, Lithuania
Summer Work Travel Alumnus Darius Gabrilavicius reflects on his experience volunteering at the Vilnius Marathon, which was held on September 13, 2020 in Lithuania. Darius volunteered at a fluid station along the race course alongside 43 members of the newly established J-1 US Alumni Association of which he is a founding member. Read More ›
Categories: Participants, Program Spotlight
Medical Residency at a Dedicated COVID-19 Care Center
Posted on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2020 at 6:49 pm.By Dr. Magdi Zordok, EVP Physician from Egypt
This story was originally published on ECFMG’s Journeys in Medicine Blog
On March 17, 2020, Carney Hospital was designated as the nation’s first dedicated care center for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Our patient population would now be only individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 and required hospitalization, either from our emergency department, or from other hospitals within our network. My experience with COVID was, at that point, scarce and limited to discussions with my senior colleagues and the case reports from China and Italy. Read More ›
Categories: Program Spotlight
Bringing the World Home to Missouri
Posted on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2020 at 5:50 pm.By Robyn Walker, Executive Director, Cenet
Cenet is a designated sponsor of the Exchange Visitor Program brining international students to the United States on Summer Work Travel (SWT), Camp Counselor, Trainee and Intern programs.
Having grown up in nearby southern Illinois, I was Cenet’s first study abroad student (to the sunny island of Malta), and now have the privilege of serving as the organization’s executive director. My cultural exchange experience enriched my life. It helped me to understand the importance of seeing new places, meeting new people, and being exposed to global perspectives. Prior to joining Cenet, I was an educator for 15 years and always took the opportunity to promote cross-cultural learning, exploration and understanding in the classroom. Read More ›
Categories: Participants, Program Spotlight
The Secret Sauce: Changing Perceptions to Empower Persons With and Without Disabilities
Posted on Wednesday, February 26th, 2020 at 3:17 pm.By Robert Rose, Host parent for secondary school students
After volunteering as a photographer for a non-profit organization based out of Sausalito, CA back in 1997, I started partnering Rotary Clubs in my area with Rotary Clubs in Nepal to undertake projects helping children with disabilities. About 13 years ago my wife Gina and I started our own small non-profit – TRIFC, to provide educational, nutritional, medical, and empowerment help to children with disabilities in Nepal. Read More ›
Categories: Program Spotlight
Discovering the Beauty of Many Cultures
Posted on Thursday, February 20th, 2020 at 3:25 am.By EVP Physician Joelle Wazen from Lebanon
I’m from Lebanon. I left home to be part of the Exchange Visitor Program to pursue my specialization in Radiology. So far my extracurricular experience has been very enriching. I’ve had the chance to participate in multiple events, gatherings and activities with my fellow residents and other colleagues at the medical center. Being part of UMass Radiology has given me the chance to experience events such as the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, celebrate Thanksgiving etc… Also I visited multiple museums such as the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago and did not miss to climb the skyline and visit the bean, spent a whole day at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC and then enjoyed a walk by the Potomac River. My classmates and I went to the Art Museum of Worcester with one of our mentors in Radiology. Read More ›
Categories: Participants, Program Spotlight
Global Learning By Design: A New Family To Lean On
Posted on Wednesday, January 8th, 2020 at 5:02 pm.By Katelynn Ziegler-Hall, Cultural Vistas
A version of this story was original published on Cultural Vistas Blog
In September 2017, Dalia and Sham began their semester long internships with Gensler, a global design and architecture firm in Washington D.C. This experience not only laid a strong foundation for their future career success, but also allowed them to forge lifelong friendships in their American host community. Read More ›
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants, Program Spotlight
Celebrating International Education Week – Cooking as a Second Language
Posted on Thursday, December 12th, 2019 at 8:05 pm.By Marjia Panic, Teacher Exchange Participant from Serbia
My name is Marija Panic, and I am a Special Education Teacher from Serbia. Currently, I’m participating in Greenheart Exchange’s Teach USA program, and am working at Harvard Elementary School of Excellence. Read More ›
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants, Program Spotlight
Bridging the ‘Last Three Feet’ Over 26.2 Miles
Posted on Wednesday, December 4th, 2019 at 4:39 pm.By Christian Caudill, Office of Private Sector Exchange, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
For the fifth year in a row, the U.S. Department of State’s Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) comprised the largest group of volunteers for the TCS New York City Marathon. More than 1,600 volunteers—au pairs, interns, students, research scholars, and designated sponsor organizations and Department of State representatives—provided runners from 135 countries with water, Gatorade, and encouragement at miles 5 and 6 in Brooklyn and miles 18, 19 and 23 in Manhattan. Read More ›
Categories: Participants, Program Spotlight
About Karen Ward Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Private Sector Exchange | |
Karen Ward has been with the Department of State and the Exchange Visitor Program for over thirty years. Karen joined Private Sector Exchange as the Director of the Office of Private Sector Exchange Designation in December 2014. She previously had worked on all aspects of the Exchange Visitor Program, including program analyst for the secondary school student, teacher, post-secondary student, research scholar, trainee and intern categories and served as the Division Chief of the Private Sector Programs Division for three years. She spent three years as a Policy Analyst and a Senior Compliance Office within the Office of Exchange Coordination and Compliance. She has extensive knowledge on program management, the regulatory process, form development, and SEVIS administration.
Karen, a native of Maryland, is a career federal civil servant with more than 30 years of service, working mostly in the areas of international exchanges and operation management. She enjoys mentoring and volunteering in her community.
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