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Dear Friends,
Around here, nature ebbs low this month, a time for hibernating and napping. At WorldBoston, we too do some of that (as usual, we’ll close for a week), but this December is actually full of activity and growth.
For example, as you’ll see below, we’ve reached near pre-pandemic levels in our International Visitor Leadership Program. We just elected three wonderful new members to our board of directors. We are adding a manager to our staff to help drive inclusive international engagement. And, as we hope you know (I do keep talking about it), we’ve turned toward our community for support, eliminating ticket prices on regular programs and membership fees.
And, big, hopeful news: WorldBoston is piloting a brand-new program for educators. With this pilot, we intend to deepen the impact of our youth program, and to strengthen the link between citizen diplomacy and action in our own community.
Global Up for Educators is a nationally-recognized program of AFS, a premier provider of international youth exchange and education. This winter, we offer this online program free of charge to educators who are bringing a team to our Academic WorldQuest tournament. Space is limited in this pilot, and sessions start in January, so please, educators, jump on this opportunity, and spread the word.
Finally, as the year winds down, we wish you and yours, as the cheery old song goes, comfort and joy.
We hope to see you soon,
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Mary P. Yntema
President & CEO
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Help WorldBoston bring the world to you!
As a non-profit organization, WorldBoston relies on community support to deliver our mission of fostering engagement in international affairs and cooperation between people of all nations.
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We’re thrilled to welcome three new members to our Board of Directors:
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Maureen Bennett is a partner at Jones Day, where she represents life sciences and health care clients conducting global clinical trials and research collaborations. In addition to her legal work, Maureen serves on several Boards of Directors and Advisory Boards.
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Nathalie Merida is Vice President of Corporate Strategy & Transformation at Berkshire Bank. Previously, she worked at State Street Bank, and brings a strong background in global work, recruiting, and management. Nathalie has received numerous awards for her work.
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Cristiana Salgado-Braga is a global executive, consultant, and strategist, with a background in product development of biotech and biopharma. Cristiana’s professional work is complemented by her international background, having lived in 10 countries on 4 continents.
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This December, we bid a fond farewell to two members of the WorldBoston team: Mary Calabria and Elena Castellini. Mary and Elena joined the team in July as Program Associates as part of the Northeastern Cooperative Education Program, and have worked closely on our Global Engagement and Citizen Diplomacy programs during their six months with us.
Mary and Elena will be sorely missed on the team! We thank them for their hard work, and wish them the best of luck with their future endeavors.
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WorldBoston is growing! We are seeking applications for our new Community Engagement Manager role, and we invite you to co-create this exciting position with us. This management position is an excellent opportunity to grow a career in community outreach, communications, and nonprofit management.
The Community Engagement Manager will oversee relationship building with WorldBoston partners, sponsors, and community members, which include business leaders, academics, local diplomats, foreign representatives, young professionals, students, and internationally-minded individuals throughout the region. Responsibilities include managing marketing and external communications/outreach, interfacing with sponsors/donors, fundraising and stewardship campaigns, and staffing Global Engagement programs.
Are you inspired by a vision of inclusive international engagement? Please learn more on our website, and share this opportunity widely within your networks.
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Now more than ever, WorldBoston relies on the support of sponsors and community members to fulfill our mission. As you may know, this year we have eliminated membership dues and ticket prices for our regular Global Engagement events. We hope both to improve access to our programs and to grow the support of people like you who value high-quality, nonpartisan international programming.
Donors who contribute $25 – $999 are now proudly recognized on our website as Community Supporters. And as in the past, donors of $1,000 and above enjoy year-round sponsorship benefits; see a current listing of our generous sponsors here.
Below are new Community Supporters in the past month — we thank them and hope that you will join! You can make a tax-deductible donation on our website at any time.
Glenn Fernandes, Jim Kaddaras, Richard Madden, Gordon Parris, John Payne, Uldis Sipols, and Howard Wolk
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Please note that our Chat & Chowder program with Professor Daron Acemoglu, originally scheduled for December 12th, has been postponed. The rescheduled program will take place on Thursday, February 15th — learn more and register here.
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Wednesday, December 13, 6:00 – 7:30 PM
Hybrid Event at the Boston Public Library, Rabb Hall
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Access to oil and gas has long influenced the politics of individual nations and their relations with others. But as more countries move toward sustainable energy, and supply chain shortages affect the availability of oil and gas, how will these changes in energy industries impact geopolitics?
Join us for a timely discussion of this topic with Sarah Emerson, founder and president of Energy Security Analysis, Inc (ESAI). The program will feature expert remarks from Ms. Emerson, live audience Q&A, and time for networking and discussion with other globally-oriented participants. To celebrate the end of our 2023 programming, we will host a special reception with light refreshments (cash bar available) in the Newsfeed Café from 7:00-7:30 PM.
This program is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required.
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WorldBoston seeks to deepen the impact of our programs to include cultural competency training, initially for high school educators. We’re calling on Massachusetts educators whose high schools are participating in Academic WorldQuest 2024 to take part in our pilot training program, free of charge. The pilot utilizes the AFS Global Up Educator curriculum, to build skills and ultimately enrich the experience of their students, while also helping WorldBoston shape this new offering.
Join us in shaping the future of WorldBoston’s programming and earn professional development credits along the way! Sign up now for this early 2024 training!
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Save the date for Academic WorldQuest on March 23rd, 2024, at Emmanuel College. Registration is open!
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But wait… there’s more!
The start of the new year brings more great programming at WorldBoston. You can register now for upcoming Global Engagement events in the new year — we hope to see you again in 2024!
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WorldBoston Event Reporting Opportunity
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Our What in the World? weekly quiz is a collection of 10 questions designed to test your knowledge of international affairs and current events. Every Monday, a new quiz is posted on our Twitter, Facebook, andInstagram stories. To receive the quiz by email, please contact Natalie Mase to join our What in the World? mailing list. The quiz can also always be found in WorldBoston Recommends, our weekly Friday newsletter.
Trivia Trail-Blazers
Congratulations to the top scorers in November! They got nearly every question right on all quizzes. Our high scorers are:
- Henry Brier
- Luz Fernandez
- Leslie Griffin
- Gayane Novikova
- Dennis Prebensen
- Terry Quist
- Jim O’Connell
- Matthew Torrey
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Monthly Prize Winner
When you take What in the World?, you automatically enter a raffle to win exclusive prizes. This month’s winner is:
Kim Rochford
Miss Something?
If you missed a quiz or would like to retake one, click on the links below.
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Highlight
In November, WorldBoston hosted 20 Mexican police officers as part of the Law Enforcement Security Exchange Project (LESEP), established by Global Ties U.S. and sponsored by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. LESEP seeks to improve citizen security and to combat transnational criminal organizations by strengthening Mexico’s security sector via international professional exchange.
The delegation of representatives from state and federal correctional institutions in Mexico was particularly interested in programs in prisons for offenders reentering society, as well as how to aid recently released offenders’ reintegration and to reduce recidivism. We thank our great community partners — Boston Project Rebound Re-Entry Services, Inc., Suffolk County House of Corrections, and The Education Justice Institute at MIT — for sharing their insights and fostering connections with this delegation.
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LESEP is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by Global Ties U.S. and WorldBoston.
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A Project for Papua New Guinea
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A Regional Project for Asia
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We welcome your thoughts and ideas for in-person programming. If you have suggestions, please contact Vice President for Citizen Diplomacy, Sarah Sibley.
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In a display of cultural exchange and celebration, WorldBoston hosted the Fulbright Visiting Scholars for a comprehensive look at the historical significance of Thanksgiving.
The program began with America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Parade in Plymouth, offering the Scholars front-row seats for the spectacular display of floats, confetti, and captivating music and dance performances. Several days later, the Scholars again joined together for a discussion with Steven Peters of SmokeSygnals. Steven, a local community leader and member of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, shared an indigenous perspective on Thanksgiving and provided historical context about the subjugation of local native people in the Northeast.
The Scholars were pleased to engage in this multifaceted look at one of America’s holidays, and enjoyed the opportunity to travel outside of Boston. We look forward to hosting them for more compelling programs in the new year!
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Check your inbox every Friday for WorldBoston Recommends – our staff picks for high-quality virtual programs on global topics in the coming week.
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Missed any of our recent events? You can find video recordings of our events on our YouTube channel! Below are links to recent events:
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Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel for updates!
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Wait, Did You Miss Something?
Don’t forget to check our News section for announcements and past newsletters.
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The International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program and WorldBoston’s main citizen diplomacy partner. Launched in 1940, the IVLP is a professional exchange program that seeks to build mutual understanding between the U.S. and other nations through carefully designed short-term visits to the U.S. for current and emerging foreign leaders. These visits reflect the International Visitors’ professional interests and support the foreign policy goals of the United States.
The U.S. Department of State’s bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs administers the IVLP. In doing so, the bureau enters cooperative agreements with National Program Agencies, a group of private, not-for-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C., that design and implement national IVLP itineraries. In addition to the National Program Agencies, the IVLP relies on the commitment and skills of local community organizations across the U.S., known as Community Based Members (CBMs). Under the professional association of Global Ties U.S., local CBM members develop professional programs, arrange cultural activities, and provide home hospitality for international visitors.
WorldBoston is part of the Global Ties Network of more than 90 CBMs in 45 states.
WorldBoston is a member of the World Affairs Councils of America,
a network of more than 90 independent Councils in more than 40 states.
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