Welcome to the U.S. ExchangeAlumni corner of the ExchangeAlumni website!
Here, you will find information and resources exclusive to exchange program alumni who are U.S. citizens. As a U.S. exchange alumnus/a, you are a part of a network made up of over 450,000 U.S. citizens who have participated in international exchange programs funded or sponsored by the U.S. government. There are numerous opportunities for you to explore on this site, including our three flagship programs for U.S. ExchangeAlumni: Career Connections, Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund (CDAF), and U.S. Alumni TIES.
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs launched Career Connections in 2019 as a series of professional development seminars for U.S. citizen alumni. During these seminars, alumni hear from expert speakers and trainers, participate in hands-on skills development workshops, meet fellow ExchangeAlumni, and leave with effective resources to map and grow their careers. Learn more about Career Connections and its virtual offshoot, Career Connections Global+, by visiting the Career Connections webpage.
The Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund (CDAF) for U.S. citizen ExchangeAlumni is a grant opportunity of up to $10,000 for teams of two or more alumni, led by a U.S. citizen ExchangeAlumni. Grants are awarded for public service projects that utilize the skills, knowledge, and networks ExchangeAlumni gained through their exchange experiences. CDAF is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and Office of Alumni Affairs, and implemented by Global Ties U.S. You can learn more about CDAF here.
Finally, the U.S. Alumni Thematic International Exchange Seminars (TIES) bring together 30-40 U.S.-based ExchangeAlumni for a week-long seminar in a U.S. city to network and work together on addressing current foreign policy or public diplomacy issues, such as media literacty or climate change. Participants explore issues of shared interest, receive training, and collaborate with fellow alumni to come up with community-based projects. Alumni are given the opportunity to apply for small grants through TIES to implement their projects and make a difference. This program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) at the U.S. Department of State, and is implemented by World Learning. Learn more about upcoming and past U.S. Alumni TIES seminars here.
The Office of Alumni Affairs welcomes Global Ties U.S. as our new implementing partner for the U.S. Exchange Alumni Network and Capacity Building Program from 2021-2024. As our new partner, Global Ties U.S. will implement our Career Connections and Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund (CDAF) programs through 2024. Read the full announcement here and learn more about Global Ties U.S. and their strong network of Community-Based Members (CMBs) here.
The 2024 competition of the Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund (CDAF) has officially started!
Check out our informational webinar below for details on this year's competition and timeline. Visit our CDAF webpage for links to this year's application, winning projects, and FAQs.
2022 Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund Informational Webinar from Global Ties U.S. Webinars on Vimeo.
