July 15 through 28, we hosted 20 Iraqi youth and 3 adult mentors through the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program (IYLEP), rescheduled from Summer 2025.

20 teens, 3 adult mentors, 2 world learning leaders, 3 GTkzoo staff, 14 host families, 8 workshops, 4 museums, 5 excellent vlogs, countless cultural activities and human engagements (including a group watch of the World Cup final). 13 days of the 2026 Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program in Kalamazoo, our 8th time hosting. It was meaningful, it was challenging, it was international, intercultural exchange at its messy best.

Thank you to all our local partners who gave so much to make this happen, and thank you to the U.S. embassy in Iraq and World Learning for selecting and partnering with us at Global Ties Kalamazoo. This rich exchange opportunity in Southwest Michigan impacts both our local community and the inspiring rising leaders from Iraq who graced our community with their presence and talents. We wish them well in their return home, and hope that their experiences in Kalamazoo strengthen the projects they will launch to make their communities in Iraq better. Our connections have only just begun and we look forward to our continued connection long into the future.

We are the only city that has hosted every iteration of this high school leadership program for emerging English speakers from Iraq, and we want to make it special. Hosting is a commitment, and a gift that families tend to remember for years.