• 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

Professional Exchanges

International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP)

"The government officials and NGOs we visited as well as our homestay hosts in Charlotte proved to be excellent ambassadors for your country.  I was really inspired by the strong sense of social responsibility that existed in the different states."

Past participant

"It broadened my outlook on the world.  I have a more positive view of the people and immigrants of this country…I will be collaborating with many of the people I met."

Past participant

Each year, the International Visitor Leadership Program brings about 4.500 visitors to the US for observational study tours from a few days to three weeks in duration. The program is administered as a partnership between the US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affair, Office of International Visitors, and private sector partners in Washington and cities around the US The World Learning Visitor Exchange Program, and its predecessor Delphi International, have been developing these programs for over 25 years.  World Learning is currently the second largest private sector partner and is responsible for designing and administering programs for about 750 international visitors from 140 countries annually. 

These distinguished professionals, chosen to participate by US Embassies worldwide, include:

• Parliamentarians
• government officials
• entrepreneurs
• NGO leaders
• journalists
• academics
• arts administrators and
• other mid-career professionals. 

Programs focus on policy issues in areas such as:

• government
• media
• foreign policy issues
• environmental protection
• women’s leadership
• education
• public health
• arts
• agriculture
• economy and trade and
• other issues

World Learning staff members design national itineraries, arrange logistics, set meetings in Washington, DC, and coordinate the collaboration of State Department program officers, Interpreters/English Language Officers and some 90 community affiliates of the National Council for International Visitors who arrange local programs nationwide.

Participants
Most participants are mid-career professionals; for many, this is their first visit to the United States.  Programs are designed for individual visitors to groups of 25 or more.  VEP program staff work closely with their State Department colleagues to customize a program designed for each specific project. 

Program Design
A typical project includes up to a week of meetings in Washington, D.C. to provide an orientation and introduction to the theme, including meetings with federal officials and agencies, national organizations, academics and think tanks, and professionals in their specific field of interest.  Meetings may include panel discussions, site visits, workshops, individual interlocutors, or job shadowing.  Cultural events, such as a musical performance or sports event, a city tour and a briefing on the federal system of government are featured in most programs.  Visitors typically travel to an additional three or four cities in geographically varied regions of the country, and may include a state capital and a small town to provide first-hand exposure to the great diversity that exists in the US  Included in the project design are school visits, volunteer or service activities and additional cultural events such as rodeos, state fairs, festivals, visits to sites of scenic beauty, or events that highlight seasonal activities or some unique aspect of the region visited.