We were so lucky to host 13 Latin American Youth Ambassadors (LAYA) as our final in-person exchange of the year. And what a joyful note to end on! 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.

The group participated in everything from a community welcome potluck (complete with music and dance) to volunteering at Open Roads, creating digital media projects at Public Media Network, and engaging with local leaders at El Concilio, KVCC, WMU, Gull Meadow Farms, and more.

Their final presentations reflected deep insight, determination, and a commitment to making change in their home communities. The closing session? All tears. All joy.

To our national partners Georgetown University and World Learning: thank you for sending this State Dept-funded delegation our way. To our amazing host families and local partners: thank you for making this experience unforgettable.

Check out photos from their visit here, on Flickr.