The Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program will bring a regional project for the Near East and North Africa will bring together 12 youth development leaders to examine and explore leadership strategies and communication skills around social participation and employment.

Host any or part of this group of 12 for dinner on Sunday, October 18.

12 leaders from Africa will be in Kalamazoo though the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) to examine leadership and communication strategies used to manage political and social challenges; review social and economic policy creation including connecting with advocates who influence the decision-making processes; discuss how public-private partnerships foster political and civic engagement; and more.

Would you like to host any or part of this group of 12 for dinner on Sunday, October 18? Learn more and sign up here.

A group of 26 professionals from Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Guinea, Madagascar, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, The Gambia, Togo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe will be in the United States between September 12 and October 3 for an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) project exploring strategic university partnerships. They will be in Kalamazoo in September.

July 15 through 28, we'll be hosting 20 Iraqi youth and 3 adult mentors through the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program (IYLEP). Rescheduled from Summer 2025, we're looking for families to open their homes for overnight hosting.

As part of the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program, a multi-regional group of professionals from Ghana, Lebanon, Mexico and South Africa, along with one liaison came to Kalamazoo from June 26-July 1 to explore civic engagement and governmental roles in elections and democracy.

Volunteer as part of their visit! Looking for hospitality hosts on Monday, May 11. Learn more here.

A group of 13 professionals from Cote d’Ivoire (2), Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Namibia (2), Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Zimbabwe (2) along with three liaisons will be in Kalamazoo through the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).

Volunteer as part of their visit! Looking for hospitality hosts on Sunday, May 3. Learn more here.

Twelve professionals from Europe and Eurasia along with two interpreters will be in Kalamazoo from May 2-6 to as part of the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).

Goals include exploring government structure, specifically the division of authority and responsibility between federal, state, and local governments.

Volunteer as part of their visit! Looking for hospitality hosts on Sunday, April 26. Learn more here.

A group of 16 professionals from Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Zimbabwe along with four liaisons will be in Kalamazoo through the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).

Their time in Kalamazoo is specifically focused on upskilling for young people and technology and entrepreneurship.

Volunteer as part of their visit! Looking for hospitality hosts on Friday or Saturday April 24 or 25. Learn more here.

A group of eight professionals from Indonesia, including 6 visitors and 2 liaisons will visit Kalamazoo as part of the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).

Volunteer as part of their visit! Looking for hospitality hosts on Sunday, April 6. Learn more here.

Three professionals from India along with an interpreter will be in Kalamazoo from April 5-7 as part of the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program(IVLP).

Goals for the program are focused around combating drug trafficking and the opioid epidemic, both as domestic issues around supply chain control, law enforcement and the judiciary, as well their connection to international cartels and terrorist organizations.

Four professionals from Georgia along with two interpreters will be in Kalamazoo from March 29-April 3 to as part of the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).

Goals include exploring emergency preparedness (including natural disasters, pandemics, and conflict) and coordination among federal, state, and local government and the private sector.

In December, we wrapped up a virtual youth exchange with Haiti focused on entrepreneurship and community impact. Youth participants are building and pitching projects they’ll implement in their home communities, and Kalamazoo professionals helped mentor and guide them.

We were so lucky to host 13 Latin American Youth Ambassadors (LAYA) as our final in-person exchange of the year. These incredible young leaders from Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and Costa Rica arrived with energy, passion, and a genuine desire to build bridges with Kalamazoo. And build they did.

A group of ten public health officials from all over the world, traveling with two liaisons, came to Kalamazoo from Thursday, October 9 to Wednesday, October 15.

A group of twelve participants, traveling with two liaisons, came to Kalamazoo from Thursday, October 9, to Wednesday, October 15.

A group of seventeen entrepreneurs from Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Guinea, Haiti, Mauritius, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, The Gambia, and Zambia traveled with four interpreters to Kalamazoo from September 23-27.

This program will brought 10 from Eurasia, including: Azerbaijan, North Macedonia, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland and Ukraine. Participants travelled with 2 interpreter/liaisons.

A group of four AI advocates from Bhutan came to Kalamazoo from Thursday, September 11, to Wednesday, September 17.

This program brought entrepreneurs to Kalamazoo.

We brought five participants with two liaisons to Kalamazoo from Sat, Aug 14 - Wed, Aug 20, 2025 

A regional program for Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA). 11 participants including Algerians, Iraqis, Jordanians, Palestinians, and Saudi Arabians were in Kalamazoo, traveling with three liaison/interpreters.

This program brought twenty-four participants from Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Eswatini, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, traveling with five liaisons, to Kalamazoo from July 20-23.

This program brought sixteen women entrepreneurs from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay, traveling with four Interpreters, to Kalamazoo from July 9-15.

This program brought ten librarians from Lithuania with two liaisons.

This program brought five mayors from cities across Ukraine to engage with local government in Kalamazoo.

This program brought four participants from Canada, with one liaison, to Kalamazoo from June 5-11.

This program brought four communication leaders from Georgia with two interpreters to Kalamazoo from May 28-31.

This program brought twelve security practitioners from Indonesia.

This program brought six young entrepreneurs from the Republic of Georgia. They had amazing professional meetings, explored South Haven and were treated to fine home hospitality in Vicksburg on Sunset Lake. Meetings included Room 35, Layla’s Cool Pops, a tour of the Mill project in Vicksburg, Start Up Zoo and Kalamazoo Forward Ventures. Thank you so much to everyone!