By Emily Cermak, Greenheart Teach USA Program Coordinator
Those working in cultural exchange often keep a well-rehearsed response for when they are asked about their work. Inevitably, the more complicated and personal question is asked, “Why do you do this work, why is this work important?”. Everybody has their own reasons for working in this industry, whether they participated in a cultural exchange themselves, or studied abroad, or even just knew an exchange student in high school. Greenhearts Global Leaders Conference (GGLC) gets to the heart of why cultural exchange programs are so important.
Every July, Greenheart gathers participants and alumni from our exchange programs in Washington, D.C. for a week of workshops, volunteering, and advocacy. This year GGLC participants represented all of Greenheart’s programs including, former FLEX and YES high school exchange students to current university students participating in Summer Work Travel programs, to young professionals in Intern and Trainee roles, to veteran teachers currently teaching with the TeachUSA program and an American who taught in Thailand through Greenheart Travel. While their experiences and journeys in cultural exchange vary greatly, they are united with purpose and motivation.
An Eventful Week
In the present, the experiences each global leader shares are heartwarming and joyful. Stories from participants working at amusement parks speak about adventures they share with new American friends, a teacher from the Philippines shares his experience having a student teacher from a local university, while others speak on their travels around the United States. These experiences in the United States contribute to the vibrancy and dynamism of the activities during the week.
Throughout the week, participants engaged meaningfully with the activities and shared unique perspectives while volunteering with their assigned track.
The International Mission-Driven Business track did a pop-up farmers market with Martha’s Table, distributing free produce to local residents. This volunteer activity sparked conversation on the importance of food access for students around the world.
The Social Justice track worked as a team to accomplish the task of removing invasive ivy from a witness tree with the National Park Service at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, followed by a tour that explored the abolitionist movement.
The Environmental Sustainability track traveled to Kingman Island and picked up trash from the important habitats in the conservation area. Participants tracked the types of trash they were finding to help collect data and learned from the park rangers how this helps guide policymaking.
GGLC’s Lasting Impact
The conference moved at a fast pace and accomplished a lot in the few days while in D.C. A clear theme from our time together emerged through the speeches given by the participants during our visit to the Department of State. The speakers were looking toward the future, reflecting on the lessons they’ve learned throughout their programs and their time in D.C. Turning new insights into ideas and plans for what comes next. Participants shared how their experiences became projects and inspiration when they returned home, into things that have made real differences and change. A former FLEX high school student founded a language school in Kazakhstan, a TeachUSA teacher is making plans to make special education more accessible in their home community, and a student found the confidence to succeed and thrive at their university. Exchange programs have prepared them for the challenges and triumphs of creating a better tomorrow.
When asked “Why do you do this work, why is this work important?”, the answer is easy: the future. After spending a week with 38 exchange participants from all walks of life, the focus and positive energy are impossible to ignore. Participants are ready to work towards a peaceful and prosperous global future; they carry with them the lessons from their exchange programs. The work we do in the present on facilitating cultural exchange sets the stage for a future built on peace, progress, and shared abundance. This is why we do the work that we do at Greenheart.
Greenheart’s network of generous donors fully funds leadership opportunities like the GGLC, and we couldn’t be more grateful for their support.
Learn more about Greenheart’s Odyssey programming and find out how you can support these programs at Greenheart.org/support.