Blogs

Partners is proud to announce the 2017 Youth Ambassadors from Colombia and Venezuela! The group consists of 20 youth and two adult mentors who will travel to Washington, D.C. for one week, and subsequently spend two weeks in either Arkansas or Tennessee. The youth were selected in an open competition for students ages 15-17 who have outstanding school records, display leadership qualities, and have demonstrated interest in improving their local community.

Financiado por el Departamento de Trabajo de los EE.UU. (USDOL), Paraguay Okakuaa es un proyecto liderado por el Ministerio de Trabajo, Empleo y Seguridad Social (MTESS) de Paraguay, que busca reducir las peores formas de trabajo infantil y mejorar el cumplimiento de las leyes laborales y las condiciones para el trabajo en el Departamento de Guairá, específicamente en los municipios de Borja, Iturbe, Troche, Paso Yobai y Villarrica.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Paraguay Okakuaa is a project led by Paraguay's Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security (MTESS), which seeks to reduce the worst forms of child labor and improve compliance with labor laws and work conditions. Partners of the Americas implements this program and works in the Department of Guairá specifically in the municipalities of Borja, Iturbe, Troche, Paso Yobai and Villarrica.

We are pleased to have expanded our A Ganar program to Colombia this year, in partnership with Colombia’s National Learning Service SENA and Volunteers Colombia. A Ganar is a sport-for-development program that prepares at-risk teens and young adults to find a job or return to school.

Raymond Devenney was a participant in the 2017 program, Panama Teacher Match, implemented by Partners of the Americas and funded by the U.S. Embassy in Panama. In this program, Raymond worked for six weeks alongside local English teachers in the public school system of Panama, training and coaching them in different methodologies. This is his story of his experience during the program.

Film can be a powerful cultural ambassador, which is why Illinois Partners is helping bring Brazilian films to the Midwest.

Texas Partners has been an important player in helping universities in Mexico develop the infrastructure for EMT services. They recently held their first bi-national meeting to continue making headway on the project.

Partners-sponsored trips help build strong relationships between Latin American nations and states in the U.S. In June, Galen Hull, a member of our Tennessee Partners chapter traveled to the Dominican Republic to forge university and trade connections with Tennessee.

Last month, ten high school students from across the U.S. were selected to represent their peers in Colombia based on academic achievements, displayed leadership qualities, and community involvement. They ventured first to Washington, D.C. for a pre-workshop, and then abroad, where they were immersed in a new culture and surroundings. Here, two Youth Ambassadors recount their experiences that forever changed them, and brought them one step closer to becoming global citizens.

Alcides Hermes Thereza Jr. lives with his wife and three children in Goiás, Brazil where he trains English teachers at the local state university. In July, however, he traded his regular life for a month in Colorado, which he spent living with host families, taking rigorous coursework, and immersing himself in American culture.