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, entrepreneurs, economic development agencies, 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.
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 American political, economic, and cultural life through 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.
