In April 2007, ten education professionals from Kharkiv, Ukraine visited the United States for a three-week program in Educational Standards and Monitoring. While in the Roanoke – Bedford area, the visitors enjoyed living with local Host Families.

Community Connections promotes public diplomacy through the exchange of cultural ideas and values among participants, U.S. families, and local community host organizations. It seeks to establish and strengthen links between U.S. communities and communities in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine.

Non-profit and community grass roots organization participation provides a foundation for establishing dynamic partnerships with organizations in Eurasia. U.S. communities play a vital role in people-to-people diplomacy. Local organizations and families make business and personal contacts and expand their knowledge of this rapidly changing region. Participants gain practical knowledge of a market economy, and how the various sectors enhance each others’ efforts to support a vibrant community. Professional training enhances their ability to serve their client population.

Legacy International has conducted the program in southern Virginia since 1994. More than 400 Russian, Ukrainian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Azerbaijani, Uzbek, and Belarusian businesspeople, government officials, lawyers, non-government organization representatives, and educators have been hosted by more than 300 companies, organizations and families. Nationally, more than 6000 interns in 20 regions received training by the end of the year 2007. Locally, large and small companies and organizations have participated, including Advance Auto Parts, Goodwill of the Valley, Atlantic Mutual Companies, Roanoke County Schools, Roanoke City Schools, Boy Scouts of America, Central Virginia Community Services Board, the Kroger Company, United Way of Central Virginia, Virginia Tech, Total Action Against Poverty, and many others.

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS – SPRING 2007!

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development
Radford University, College of Education
Roanoke County Public Schools
Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College
Virginia Department of Education
Virginia Tech University Department Of Education
U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Educational Sciences