By: Taylor Kay, Senior Director, Work and Travel Program
Since 2008, Greenheart has brought together various stakeholders to discuss trends and developments in the BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel Program. This year’s conference in Chicago was the second since the pandemic and included 70 attendees for three days.
The Work and Travel Program and 2024 Community at the Annual Work and Travel Conference:
The Work and Travel Program allows international university students to spend their summer in the United States. They gain valuable work experience and improve their English. They also and their understanding of American culture as well as sharing their own. Under the theme of “Global Connections: Empowering Exchange Through Engagement and Education”, Greenheart brought together host employers, sending partners and community leaders to network, learn from each other as experts in the industry and receive important updates from the Department of State. Two speakers, Dr. Barrett Haga and Ms. Gia Crawford addressed the group, sharing their own personal experiences with BridgeUSA programs, important participant trends and ways that sponsors and other stakeholders can further protect participant’s safety and welfare. The group also heard from a current participant and an alumna on how this program has shaped them.
The Most Valuable Part:
For me, the breakout sessions with host employers and with Greenheart sending partners were the most valuable part! They allowed for the exchange of best practices and to find solutions to various challenges that arise from hosting participants in seasonal communities across the country. While there are many differences between say Brooklyn and Estes Park, Colorado, or the path participants from Mongolia and Argentina would take, there are also many commonalities. These included acclimating to a US work environment, sourcing suitable and affordable housing, and connecting participants to community resources.
Giving Back to the Community:
We also gave back in typical Greenheart fashion by volunteering at Cradles to Crayons, a non-profit that serves Chicagoland residents in need. In their brightly lit warehouse, volunteers sorted donated clothing according to type and size, conducted quality control, and repackaged items into outfits for specific children ages. It was fun and rewarding to learn about their mission.
Showing Off the Beautiful Chicagoland!
We also took the opportunity to show off our home city, sending attendees on a scavenger hunt around Chicago. We arranged a visit to the top of the John Hancock Building and provided the opportunity to do Karaoke with a live band. The cooperative weather matched attendees’ outlook of the gathering and I, for one, left Chicago feeling inspired by our work and the Greenheart community.
If you are a business who would like to host international seasonal staff for a cultural exchange, please visit HirewithGreenheart.org to learn more.
To learn more about Greenheart’s Summer Work Travel program visit GreenheartExchange.org.
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