• Civil Society and Governance
  • Civil Society and Governance Overview
  • Institutional Capacity Building
  • Civic Education
  • Citizen Participation
  • Advocacy
  • Democratic Governance
  • Grants Solicitation and Management Capacity
  • Women's and Minority Rights
  • Disenfranchised Groups
• Education
  • Education Overview
  • Basic Education
  • Higher Education
  • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
  • Education for Vulnerable Groups
• HIV/AIDS
  • HIV/AIDS Overview
  • HIV/AIDS Prevention
  • Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC)
  • Grants Solicitation and Management Capacity
  • Institutional Capacity Building
• International Visitors Exchanges
  • International Professional, Academic, and Cultural Exchanges Overview
  • Undergraduate and Graduate Academic Exchanges
  • Professional Exchanges
  • Youth Exchanges
• Capacity Development and Training
  • Capacity Development and Training Overview
  • Participant Training
  • Institutional Capacity Building
  • Undergraduate and Graduate Academic Exchanges
  • Grant Solicitation and Management Capacity
  • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

Community Connections

Alumni Quotes

"I am amazed by the spirit of volunteerism in the US and by the Americans' sincere wish to give themselves to other people."

Nina Costiuc, Moldova. Providing Information to the Public: A Government Responsibility, Cleveland Council on World Affairs

"The model of youth taking an active role inspired me to include youth to launch a new political newspaper."

Marina Modebadze, Georgia. NGO Development, Center for International Understanding, Inc.

"I gained interesting ideas about establishing cooperation between my hometown government, NGOs and educational institutions….I plan to present amendments to the legislative acts to improve this cooperation."

Vitalii Ostannii, Ukraine. Small Towns Clubs/After School Children’s Club Management, Tulsa Global Alliance

"It was amazing to see the level of tolerance, community engagement, openness, freedom of speech and democracy in the US. People are patriotic and display it through flags and elections."

Participants, Uzbekistan. Beekeeping Associations, Northern Nevada International Center

"I am very grateful to the Community Connections Program and USAID for the provided opportunity to see the U.S. with my own eyes, for the meetings, and for the family that has found a special place in my heart."

Vladimir Gabidullin.  Kazakhstan. Corporate Social Responsibility, Valbin's Center for International Programs

"We actually witnessed how very different children are all integrated into society: homeless, low-income and disabled. It was important for me to see that it is possible. You, just have to start making changes."

Lutfiya Safarova, Uzbekistan. Support for Disabled Groups, Organizations, and Societies, Colleagues International

"We traveled all around Iowa and we saw first hand how people use and produce solar and wind power. We saw everything with our own eyes…..We stayed with farmers, teachers, etc. and it was very useful and interesting to stay with and learn from these families. This was an excellent program from a cultural, personal, and research stand point."

Meretkuly Jumayev, Turkmenistan. Promoting Alternative Energy Technologies, Iowa Resources for International Service

"It's almost impossible to highlight one thing that's most important. It was a great exchange of experience and new information. It's better to see it one time with our own eyes than to read thousands of books. Your country is a great achievement – working together to improve the quality of life. And the program was organized wonderfully."

Participant, Turkmenistan. Promoting Alternative Energy Technologies, Iowa Resources for International Service