80th Anniversary of the International Visitor Leadership Program
From the Spokesperson of the U.S. Department of State:
In honor of the 80th anniversary of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) at the U.S. Department of State will host an event on January 16, 2020, in the National Museum of American Diplomacy at 9:30 a.m.
The event will officially kick-off the yearlong 80th anniversary celebration of the IVLP and cultivate an open dialogue about how countries around the world can utilize ECA resources to increase cultural connections with the United States. Attendees will explore how ECA is advancing foreign policy through flexible and responsive exchange programs.
Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Marie Royce will host the event and give opening remarks. She will introduce two distinguished IVLP alumni, Ambassador of the Republic of Albania to the U.S. Floreta Faber and Ambassador of Singapore to the U.S. Ashok Kumar Mirpuri, who will share their exchange program experiences. Secretary of State of the District of Columbia Kimberly A. Bassett and other U.S. government and foreign embassy officials will also attend the event.
For the past 80 years, the IVLP has connected current and emerging leaders from around the world to the United States through short-term exchanges. The program has grown to include over 225,000 alumni and continues to build vital linkages between citizens in the United States and emerging leaders throughout the world. Throughout 2020, 80 accomplished IVLP alumni and the impact their experiences brought to the global community will be showcased at: https://eca.state.gov/facesofexchange.
Interested journalists are asked to please RSVP to eca-press@state.gov, by 5:00 pm on January 15th.
Pre-set time for cameras is 9:00 a.m. from the 21st Street entrance. Final access time for writers and stills is 9:15 a.m. from the 21st Street entrance.
Media representatives may attend this event upon presentation of one of the following: (1) A U.S. Government-issued identification card (Department of State, White House, Congress, Department of Defense, or Foreign Press Center), (2) a media-issued photo identification card, or (3) a letter from their employer on letterhead verifying their employment as a journalist, accompanied by an official photo identification card (driver’s license, passport).
For more information, please contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at eca-press@state.gov. Follow the IVLP on social media at #IVLP.
