The Washington, DC-based nonprofit Global Ties U.S., in partnership with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) at the U.S. Department of State, is pleased to announce the next—and penultimate—location for the year-long photo exhibit, Impact of Exchange: Stories from U.S. Exchange Alumni. Beginning August 9, it will be on display in Cedar Rapids, IA for approximately four weeks.
Since launching in September 2023, the traveling photo exhibit has captured the collective attention of more than 83,000 visitors in Boise, ID; Little Rock, AR; and Portland, ME.
Comprised of six large photo-vinyl cubes measuring six-feet-tall, the Impact of Exchange is an immersive public art exhibit that features the photography and stories of 38 U.S. citizen ExchangeAlumni of 20 U.S. Government-funded exchange programs taken during their time abroad. By transporting viewers to locations around the world, the exhibit seeks to inspire communities with relatively low rates of international exchange program participation to become future exchange participants – and to share with others their own experiences of the power of exchange.
Below is information for the upcoming stop:
- August 8-September 11: Cedar Rapids, IA
Location: National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library
Host: Global Ties Iowa
“We are thrilled to collaborate with our Community-Based Members to engage more people across the United States in exchanges, both at home and abroad,” said Katherine A. Brown, Ph.D., President & CEO of Global Ties U.S. “Exchanges open doors to the world, and this exhibit is bringing that message to new and diverse audiences across the United States through the Global Ties Network and its partners.”
“The Impact of Exchange exhibit illustrates the transformative power of exchange programs for U.S. citizen ExchangeAlumni, fostering both personal and professional development while forging meaningful connections across borders,” said Madelina Young-Smith, Director of the U.S. the Department of State’s Office of Alumni Affairs. “The Department’s partnership with Global Ties U.S. and Iowans in Cedar Rapids provides the steppingstone to opportunities in exchange and global leadership, enriching experiences for participants at every stage of their journey, including after they return home.”
The Impact of Exchange is part of the U.S. Exchange Alumni Network and Capacity Building Program, a cooperative agreement with ECA’s Office of Alumni Affairs and Global Ties U.S. The exhibit is designed by Photoville and hosted by members of the Global Ties Network.
With more than 500,000 U.S. citizen alumni in the United States and around the world, the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Alumni Affairs opens the door to networking, professional development, and the many opportunities that exist in citizen diplomacy. In addition to the Impact of Exchange photo exhibit, the partnership with Global Ties U.S. includes Career Connections events for U.S. citizen Exchange Alumni; the Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund (CDAF), a small grants competition for exchange program alumni to carry out public service projects; and the Alumni Resource Center (ARC), an online career development hub that provides alumni with courses, trainings, and resources to develop professional skills, market themselves, and explore careers in and outside of public service.
More Information
Global Ties U.S. is the national leader for connecting people and communities in the United States with global leaders through international exchange programs. Since 1961, Global Ties U.S. has powered a community-based network of 80+ nonprofit organizations that serve all 50 U.S. States and implement the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and a wide variety of other international exchange and public diplomacy programs. The work of Global Ties U.S. advances U.S. strategic priorities abroad and boosts prosperity at home by harnessing the diplomatic potential of our country’s greatest asset: our people.
The Office of Alumni Affairs in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs: The Office of Alumni Affairs cultivates and extends the impact of U.S. government funded and sponsored educational and cultural exchange programs through continued engagement with alumni of these programs. This dynamic global network of millions of ExchangeAlumni includes current and former heads of state, Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, Olympic athletes, award-winning artists, and untold numbers of community leaders and changemakers around the world.
The Office of Alumni Affairs collaborates with U.S. embassies and consulates abroad to leverage the expertise, energy, and enthusiasm of exchange alumni in support of shared goals. Domestically, The Office of Alumni Affairs works with implementing partners to support U.S. citizen alumni in leveraging the impact of their exchange experience after returning to the United States. Every day, exchange alumni make a difference in their communities and around the world, in health care, entrepreneurship, civic engagement, volunteerism, the democratic process, technology, and much more.
Photoville is a New York-based nonprofit organization that works to promote a wider understanding and increased access to the art of photography for all. Founded in 2011 in Brooklyn, NY, Photoville was built on the principles of addressing cultural equity and inclusion by ensuring that the artists they exhibit are diverse in gender, class, and race. By activating public spaces, amplifying visual storytellers, and creating unique and highly innovative exhibition and programming environments, Photoville joins the cause of nurturing a new lens of representation.