INTERNATIONAL VISITOR
LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
Global New Orleans administers the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) for those participants who travel to Louisiana through the IVLP exchange. The IVLP is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. Through short-term visits to the United States, current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields experience this country first-hand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts. Professional meetings reflect the participants’ professional interests and support the foreign policy goals of the United States.
The exchange brings up to 5,000 professional emerging leaders from around the world to the United States each year for programs of up to three weeks each.
CONNECTING EMERGING
LEADERS
International visitors vetted by their embassies and sponsored by the IVLP program exchange culture and ideas with Global New Orleans community partners & members including staff, board, volunteers, and travel enthusiasts.
Our resources and connections include elected officials, academia, K-12, community-based organizations, entrepreneurs, economic development agencies, culture bearers, philanthropic organizations, churches, subject matter experts, and more.
What do International Visitors do in the U.S.?
Participants typically visit four U.S. communities over three weeks, and projects vary by theme and requests from U.S. Embassies around the world. As they travel, participants meet with representatives of U.S. public and private sector organizations related to the project theme, explore American society, history, and culture, led by international visitor liaisons or foreign language interpreters, and engage in Home Hospitality with American families.
Projects cover a broad array of themes, some of which include:
Climate Change and Crisis Management
English Language Instruction
Entrepreneurism
Environmental Protection
Filmmaking and Production
Food Security and Safety
Human Rights
Infrastructure & Engineering
International Health
Journalism
National Security and Counter-Terrorism
U.S. Foreign Policy
Volunteerism
Women’s Leadership
Youth Leadership
and Many More!
FAQs
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We facilitate the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and have been since it was conceived and implemented by President Kennedy in 1961.
IVLP is a professional exchange program funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The mission of IVLP is to offer current and emerging international leaders the opportunity to experience the richness and diversity of American political, economic, social and cultural life through carefully designed exchanges that reflect participants’ professional interests and the public diplomacy objectives of the United States government.
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There is no application for the IVLP. Participants are nominated by the staff at U.S. Embassies around the world and project topics are tied to key U.S foreign policy priorities.
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Each community that receives this funding (85 other cities) is expected to share the total cost of the program.
Our main source of funding comes from the US Department of State, Education and Cultural Affairs, Office of International Visitors.
We fill that gap with donations, membership fees, and some privately commissioned custom exchange projects.
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Our mission is to foster cross-cultural collaboration on a global level. Our mission is to foster cross-cultural collaboration on a global level. These professional exchange programs are part of the National Security strategy.
Building relationships with future leaders/heads of state is a proactive way to ensure goodwill and understanding in the future. We generate ripple effects through meaningful experiences and connections. The sense of community in international exchange is palpable. Connections through Citizen diplomacy make our world bigger through friendship, business relationships, and academic collaborations.
