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!

This program brought nine leaders from Iraq, Algeria, Libya, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia with two liaisons to Kalamazoo from May 7-12.

This program brought seven university administrators and educators from Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela to Kalamazoo on April 21-23.

This program brought four leaders from Algeria to Traverse City November 22-27.

Empowering Marathi Journalists for Impactful Reporting IVLP — A program for Indigenous journalists from India — brought 6 leaders and two liaisons to Kalamazoo Nov. 13-19. Photos from this program are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/cikalamazoo/albums/72177720321387036/

Women in STEM in the Quad IVLP brought leaders from the Indo-Pacific to Kalamazoo Nov. 7 - 13. The photo album for this program is at https://www.flickr.com/photos/cikalamazoo/albums/72177720321386956/with/54127349541/

Combating Trafficking in Persons IVLP brought our leaders from Thailand to Kalamazoo Nov. 5 - 9. Thanks so much to Nadine for hosting them for a meal in your home, and to their professional peers in our community who met with this great group. Photos from this program are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/cikalamazoo/albums/72177720321406824/

Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists – New and Traditional Broadcast Media IVLP brought leaders from around the world (and several accompanying liaisons) to Kalamazoo Nov. 3 - 6. Thanks so much to everyone who welcomed this incredible group into your workplace/school and home/neighborhood. The photo album for this program is at https://www.flickr.com/photos/cikalamazoo/albums/72177720321406699

The Haitian Youth Ambassadors brings 15 participants to Kalamazoo virtually Oct. 30 - Nov. 3. There are virtual hospitality opportunities for this online, French-speaking program.

Latin American Youth Ambassadors (LAYA) took place in Kalamazoo Oct. 26 - Nov. 5. Photos from this Spanish-speaking, home-hosted program are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/cikalamazoo/albums/72177720321406559/

Inclusive Education for Students with Disabilities IVLP brought 10 leaders from Greece with two liaisons and an accommodation assistant to Kalamazoo Oct 23-26. The photo album from this program is at https://www.flickr.com/photos/cikalamazoo/albums/72177720321386816/

Innovative Leadership in Higher Education and Workforce Development IVLP brought leaders from Asia to Kalamazoo Oct. 9-11. The photo album for this program is at https://www.flickr.com/photos/cikalamazoo/albums/72177720320837310/