PowerPoint Presentation

[Audio] Hello everyone! I'm here to welcome you to the Exchange Alumni family, a worldwide network of exchange program alumni. So, who are # ExchangeAlumni? Anyone who has completed a U.S. government funded or sponsored exchange program is an exchange program alumnus or alumna - in other words, YOU are exchange alumni!.

[Audio] So what's the difference between Alumna, Alumnae, Alumni, Alumnus..

[Audio] Alumni is the plural noun for a group of male graduates or male and female graduates..

[Audio] An alumnus is one male graduate.. ALUmNus An alumnus is one male graduate..

[Audio] An alumna is one female graduate.. Alumna An alumna is one female graduate ..

[Audio] Alumnae is the plural of alumna, which is a group of female graduates..

[Audio] By now you should know what Alumni, Alumnae, Alumnus and Alumna refers to..

[Audio] The State Department offers many opportunities and resources for alumni like you, and we are going to talk about some of these opportunities. So let's get started! Did you know? There are millions of exchange alumni all over the world! Every year, ECA sends thousands of people on exchange programs all over the world. So you are joining a large network..

[Audio] Who are alumni? They are arts envoys, cultural envoys, sports envoys, U.S. Speakers, and exchange visitor participants. They are Olympic & Paralympic athletes, Freedom medal winners, heads of State and government, Nobel Laureates, and Pulitzer Prize winners. There are Former Ambassadors, Former heads of government, Mayors, Cabinet Ministers. Other famous alumni include: Shaquille O'Neal, world famous basketball star/sports envoy to Cuba 2016 ( Retired National Basketball Association player and sports analyst/ 4-time NBA Championship winner) Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand/ IVLP 2012; Prime Minister of New Zealand; 2019 Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women; 2019 Time 100 Most Influential People Misty Copeland, world famous ballet dancer and arts envoy (to Cuba)... Yo-Yo Ma, renowned cellist and cultural envoy (U.S., CultureConnect Ambassador 2002; cellist; Avery Fisher Prize ( 1978), Glenn Gould Prize ( 1999), the National Medal of the Arts ( 2001), the Dan David Prize ( 2006), the Sonning Prize (2006), and the World Economic Forum's Crystal Award ( 2008); U.N. Messenger of Peace 2006- 2007)… Mae Jemison, U.S., Peace Corps - doctor in Liberia and Sierra Leone from 1983 until 1985; NASA astronaut Chloe Kim, Sports Envoy to South Korea, 2017; Professional Snowboarder; 2018 Olympic Gold Medalist in Halfpipe Snowboarding Hakainde Hichilema, the current President of Zambia, is an IVLP alum ( 2010) Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of Great Britain Current President of the Republic of Zambia Hakee - ende Hichilema. So you are a part of an incredibly diverse and successful network of alumni..

[Audio] There are many ways to build on your exchange program experience and build your alumni network. One of the best ways is to connect with the alumni coordinator at the U.S. Embassy, which is us. Once you're in touch with us, we will let you know if there are opportunities to network with fellow exchange alumni and to work with Embassy staff on grant projects. Also you can reach out to us if you have any ideas that would help your community. Please reach us through this email: Yemenpas@fan.gov.

[Audio] Another way to build on your exchange experience is to get registered on alumni.state.gov! Once your exchange program is complete, we send you a unique link to join us at alumni.state.gov, so you can access all the things we have to offer. Our website is a place to inspire and empower you in your post-exchange endeavors! By joining, alumni gain access to millions of dollars in grants and funding opportunities, research databases and periodicals, and job, mentorship and fellowship resources. A new website is coming out that will have modern and robust engagement features, similar to social media sites, but also resources ( journals, research, etc.), a mentoring program, and jobs board..

[Audio] There are ways to search for grant opportunities, research journals, news, and more at alumni.state.gov! There is also a function on the website called " Find Fellow Alumni" which can help you connect with other alumni around the world or in your country to collaborate on service projects..

[Audio] And for the entrepreneurs in the audience, we also offer resources on the Resources for Entrepreneurs page to help take your business idea to the next level. From Alumni TIES grants to our annual Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund ( AEIF) competition, we foster business development and training for entrepreneurs and innovators..

[Audio] The Academy of Women Entrepreneurs, or AWE, provides female business owners with the knowledge, networks, and access needed to start and scale successful enterprises. The program draws on the power of private-public partnerships and alumni networks to help U.S. embassies reach their economic, outreach, women, peace, and security goals. In June 2021, AWE joined ECA's Office of Alumni Affairs, bringing this program to millions of alumni within the #exchangealumni network. Through AWE, women entrepreneurs participate in a facilitated entrepreneurship program supplemented with localized content, as well as networking and mentorship opportunities. The program equips women with the tools needed to create and grow their own businesses, raise capital, and effectively network with other successful business owners. Alumni may have the opportunity to mentor AWE participants if AWE is running in your country..

[Audio] Alumni TIES are Thematic International Exchange Seminars, where participants get a chance to tackle key regional issues, receive training, and collaborate with fellow alumni to implement community projects in their home countries. Alumni can also compete for project grants they create during the seminar. Some of the issues that alumni have tackled include Environmental Diplomacy, American Identity: Exploring Our Collective, Memory, Heritages and Histories, and Public Health and the Climate Crisis. We will hold an Alumni TIES focused on Democracy in November 2022. International alumni are invited by their local U.S. Embassy to participate, based on their area of expertise and focus. Visit the Alumni TIES page at alumni.state.gov for more information..

[Audio] The Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund – or A-E-I-F -- is our flagship grants program that provides thousands of dollars in support to alumni of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs, like the Professional Fellows Program. The ( AEIF) competition supports exchange alumni initiatives that promote shared values and innovative solutions to global challenges. Since its inception in 2011, AEIF has funded nearly 500 alumni-led projects around the world. Beginning in 2021, individual U.S. Embassies and Consulates will run the competition, at their discretion. Each project proposal must include the involvement of at least two or more alumni, or involve an alumni association. All project activities must take place outside of the United States and its territories. This year project proposals requested funding in the range from $ 10,000 to $ 40,000. Interested in submitting a proposal? Reach out to us for more information and make sure to follow us on our social media outlets..

[Audio] This year a special competition for MWF from the 2021 cohort for up to $ 10,000. Zambian MWFs were awarded funding for the Not Too Young to Decide project. As a follow on to the 2021 AEIF project this project facilitated trainings for 3000 students from 3 schools in civic engagement, participatory budgeting, and consensus building..

[Audio] The DIGI-SWoRE project recruited and trained 50 women owned businesses in Mombasa and Kilifi in digital skills on effective use of social media platforms, how to build a resilient and sustainable business, and responsible waste management practices with a focus on plastic segregation and trading to reduce marine pollution along the coastline..

[Audio] And speaking of virtual resources, every month, there is a Facebook Live program every month called Mentor Talks. Mentor Talks put you in touch with extraordinary mentors on a variety of topics, like smart cities, revolutionizing fundraising, storytelling for impact, and more. Stay tuned for episodes. You can find more info on MentorTalks on our website or watch past episodes on our MentorTalks series on Facebook @internationalexchangealumni..

[Audio] You can connect and learn about the latest MentorTalks and Voices of Exchange episodes, plus other alumni news on their Facebook page… Twitter and Instagram handles… and LinkedIn. We also encourage you to share how your exchange experience has made a difference in your life, and tag, #ExchangeAlumni. You never know when the Secretary of State will comment on your story -- or if your success story will be the one that encourages Congress to keep funding exchange programs! If you'd rather not post on social media, you can email your story at exchangealumni@state.gov..

[Audio] Thank you and make sure to follow us. We also encourage you to share how your exchange experience has made a difference in your life, and tag, #ExchangeAlumni. You never know when the Secretary of State will comment on your story -- or if your success story will be the one that encourages Congress to keep funding exchange programs! If you'd rather not post on social media, you can email your story at exchangealumni@state.gov..