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Dear Friends,
It seems like 2024 at WorldBoston may be shaping up to be the Year of Engagement. We are in the important process of creating a new Community Engagement Manager position, and we are piloting a new program, starting this month, Global Up for Educators, to help enhance cultural competence skills of high school teachers.
Both of these efforts aim to reflect and expand greater engagement with our own, globally-oriented community at WorldBoston. This means we’re relying more on you, both for your personal participation and for your financial support. Why will this work? First, because we know we’ve had to pass on dozens of great ideas for engagement — and they keep on coming.
Second, because we think you get it. Here’s what our new Ambassador Sponsor says, “I’m inspired by WorldBoston supporting teachers whose schools are participating in the Academic WorldQuest 2024 program. Programs like this will attract and produce the skilled leaders our country needs for the future.” (Thanks to John Wilkins of the Wilkins Family Fund!)
As you’ll see below, programming has started right back up this month with two visiting groups in January and, back by popular demand, our International Affairs Book Swap next week. This special networking night is just a lot of fun, and also a great way to clear out some of the books we all piled up over 2023 — and to bring home some that are new-to-you. Looking ahead to February, save the date for our special event on The U.S.-South Korea Alliance featuring officials from both the Korean Embassy and the State Department. (Tip: Always check our website, worldboston.org, to see what events have recently been added.)
Join in, everybody. 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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Thursday, January 18, 6:00 – 7:30 PM
In-Person Event at Foley & Lardner LLP
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Did you make a New Year’s resolution to clean out clutter this year? Or to read more? Or maybe to network with other internationally-minded people? For all of the above and more, join us for our International Affairs Book Swap on January 18th!
This festive, informal program will feature book “shopping” and swapping, slam-style book pitches, networking, beverages and appetizers. And the best part is, you get to cull your bookshelves on behalf of a good cause (all excess books will be donated to More Than Words) and restock with a new-to-you book or two. Come for the books, the fun, or all of the above!
Participants should bring at least one and no more than six books about any topic in international affairs. We ask that all books be in good condition and published within the past ten years.
This program will take place in-person only, and advance registration is required (buy 3 tickets and get 1 free!). We cannot accommodate walk-ins.
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Have you read a book that changed your perspective, or even your life? Then volunteer to slam at our International Affairs Book Swap – in 90 seconds or less, make the case for why we should all read your recommendation. Learn more here.
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The deadline is rapidly approaching to participate in this cultural competency pilot program for educators — course materials will be available January 15th, and the first facilitated virtual session is on January 23rd.
WorldBoston is delighted to launch this pilot training program for educators using the Global Up Educator curriculum. Any Massachusetts high school pledging to send a team to Academic WorldQuest 2024 can select up to 2 educators to participate free of charge. Participants will earn professional developments credits, an AFS Global Competency Certificate, and more.
Space is limited! Reserve your spot today to take part in this exciting new venture.
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Registration is open for Academic WorldQuest on March 23rd, 2024, at Emmanuel College. Register your team today!
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You can view and register for upcoming events in February and beyond on our website calendar here.
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WorldBoston Event Reporting Opportunity
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Highlight
As we hit the ground running on another year of Citizen Diplomacy programming, we want to reflect on the diverse multitude of delegations we welcomed to Boston in 2023. It was an honor to host nearly 1,000 visitors from over 150 countries, with expertise from medicine, to education, to the arts, among many others. We encourage you to take a look below to see the breadth of our work in 2023. Special thanks to all of the citizen diplomats in our community who helped us welcome these groups and shared their professional insights with them. We could not do this work without you!
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A Regional Project for Eurasia
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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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2024 has already kicked off for our Fulbright Visiting Scholars Enrichment Program! On January 2nd, we hosted scholars and their families for a basketball game between Boston College and Wake Forest University. Despite Wake Forest’s victory over the home team, the scholars and guests — many from countries where basketball isn’t as prevalent — enjoyed the vibrant college atmosphere and seeing passionate students cheering on their team.
The Boston College Athletics staff featured the scholars on the big screen during a timeout, which was met with a round of applause from the audience. The participating scholars not only had a fantastic time celebrating the new year, but also welcomed the chance to network and connect with each other. We look forward to more opportunities to engage with the scholars in 2024.
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This January, we welcome two new people to the WorldBoston team, as part of the Northeastern Cooperative Education Program.
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Naz Ozturk is a Theatre and Communication Studies major at Northeastern University. Growing up in an international community helped her foster skills of open-mindedness and cultural competence, which she plans to employ in her position at WorldBoston. In her first co-op, Naz is looking forward to honing her marketing and outreach abilities.
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Noelle Hor is a third-year student pursuing her B.A. in International Relations at Northeastern University with a minor in Spanish and Criminal Justice. Her academic and professional work includes experiences both at home and abroad, having studied Spanish in Peru, and working at The Greek Ombudsman and volunteering at the collective Khora in Athens. Her most recent internship was at the MIRA Coalition this past fall.
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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. Donors who contribute $25 – $999 are proudly recognized on our website as Community Supporters. And, donors of $1,000 and above enjoy year-round sponsorship benefits; see a current listing of our generous sponsors here.
We are grateful for all of our 2023 Community Supporters, whom you can see on our website here, and we encourage you to contribute in the new year to become a 2024 Community Supporter. Donors will receive this year’s new pin to recognize their support!
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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.
Erik Aas, Linda Cheatham, David Chosiad and Paula Thompson, George King, Yvette Morrill, and Sally Withington
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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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