Capabilities

Training & Program Experience (click here for listing)

Who We Are:
IVC of Philadelphia is the "door" to the greater Philadelphia region for guests of the U.S. and foreign Governments, local and international corporations and NGO's and foundations.  We are a private, non-profit organization.

Our core program is the State Department's prestigious "International Visitor Leadership Program," but that's just one of many programs we administer.  IVC has two divisions that handle all our work: The Center for International Development and the Center for International Business.

We are the region's leading international organization, linking businesses and institutions with hundreds of rising and established leaders from around the world each year.  We are a volunteer-based "citizen diplomacy" organization whose network of volunteers was nominated for the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize.  In 2004 we received the Human Rights Award from the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations. 

We administer the U. S. State Department's leadership exchange and training programs (since 1954), the City of Philadelphia's Sister Cities Program (since 1997), and a U.S. Commerce Department export assistance program (since 1999). 

Philadelphia's IVC arranges the local itineraries and "American experiences" for hundreds of delegations annually.  We identify experts in various fields to meet with the guests; we develop relationships for academic, cultural, civic and business institutions; and help prevent future wars by making friends with the world's new leaders.

Who We Work With:
We work in partnership with the foreign affairs agencies in Washington: State Department and the United States Agency for International Development.  We also arrange for guests of foreign governments, companies and organizations to meet their American counterparts.  We work with the Philadelphia Department of Commerce and administer Philadelphia's Sister Cities Program, and provide free export assistance to Philadelphia's companies through a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.

What We Do:
We are matchmakers who use Philadelphia as a "classroom" for democracy and free market development. IVC's staff designs programs and professional itineraries for high-level guests from abroad to meet their Philadelphia-area counterparts and gain an understanding of the U.S.  We identify experts in the Greater Philadelphia area and match them with visitors and with IVC's 500+ members who create "American cultural experiences" for them.  From dinner hospitality to homestays, cookouts, theatre, golf, baseball, basketball and football games, we create positive, lasting images of the U.S.  Annually, the staff of IVC arranges more than 4,000 meetings and American experiences with IVC members and area experts, our "citizen diplomats."

Why We Exist:
We work to make friends with the world's new leaders, make contacts for business and prevent future wars by putting Americans and guests from abroad "face to face." We help strengthen democratic institutions abroad and foster cultural understanding among nations. We promote Philadelphia's economy and historic contributions to the world. 

Citizen Diplomacy Program:
IVC's Citizen Diplomacy Program engages area residents and institutions with distinguished guests from abroad for professional exchanges.  These volunteers are experts in their fields, from law, art, government, education, free markets and journalism, to that of simply being an American.  They meet with members of parliament, presidential advisors, economists, business leaders, mayors, arts, library and university administrators, journalists and others who can affect positive change in their countries.  Our Citizen Diplomats are generous with their time and expertise.

Our Mission:
Our mission is to promote mutual understanding among nations and prevent wars by bringing people 'face to face' and creating a dialogue between Americans and guests from abroad. We promote democracy, free enterprise, international trade and educational exchanges.

Our Vision:
Our vision is to create the strongest international network in the United States for the Philadelphia region.

COUNTERPART MEETINGS

We arrange for meetings with American counterparts.  Mayors meeting Mayors, Members of Parliament meeting an American Governor, Senator or Member of Congress.  Lawyers, presidents of banks, universities, hospitals and corporations meeting their American counterparts.  Police, fire fighters, teachers, social workers and people from all professions learning how people in the U.S. do their jobs.

Philadelphia's IVC arranges it all.
As the leadership exchange for Eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware & New Jersey, Philadelphia's IVC puts international professionals and government officials in touch with their American counterparts. For 50 years IVC has been creating a global network of counterparts who better understand each other's country, business and way of life.

Philadelphia's IVC can arrange:

·        Professional discussions in offices

·        Professional or courtesy visits with government officials

·        Formal or informal meetings over lunch or dinner

·        Formal or informal receptions in hotels or restaurants with community
         representatives or business counterparts

·        Informal dinners in the home of a counterpart

·        "Shadow days:" experiencing a "day in the life" of an American executive

·        Speaking opportunities with business or educational groups

·        Meetings with local press

From the moment of arrival at the hotel, a detailed itinerary will be waiting.  Included will be:

·        Names, addresses, phone numbers and times of appointments arranged. 
         Background information about the experts to be met and their
         organizations.

·        Detailed directions to get to each appointment - with ample time between each.  Suggestions as to whether to walk or take a cab, including approximate costs of taxis to get to each appointment. (Car rentals and limousines are arranged in advance.)

·        24-hour emergency numbers of IVC staff

·        Name badge

·        Restaurant, theater and other cultural recommendations

·        Evaluation form and self-addressed, stamped envelope

TECHNICAL & STUDY VISITS
Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware offer the finest resources in the United States, from trade to technology, from the environment to the economy. Whether it's a one-hour visit or five days of intensive meetings, IVC will carefully construct a quality program to meet all objectives, interests and specific needs.

Meet and speak with area experts with U.S. approaches to:

·        Democracy - Free People, Free Markets

·        Tourism & Historical and Cultural Preservation

·        Religion (Religious diversity and tolerance, including Islam, Quakers, Baha'I and more)

·        Promoting economic development through private enterprise

·        Small business development & entrepreneurship in the free market

·        Privatization

·        Franchising

·        City and regional planning

·        Law enforcement

·        Capital markets/the free enterprise system

·        Federalism and constitutional development

·        Gender & Women's Issues

·        HIV-AIDS

·        Educational innovations

·        Drug Abuse program development

·        Independent judiciary and the rule of law in the U.S.

·        Environmental protection/management of natural resources

·        U.S. political system

·        Foreign policy

·        U.S. trade policy

·        Museums and arts centers

·        Journalism/the free press

·        University administration in the U.S.

·        American libraries

·        Role of volunteers and community service groups

·        Equal opportunity and legal protection for women

·        Agricultural issues

·        Labor-management relations/organized labor

·        State and local government in the U.S.

·        And more!

Technical Visits
Whether looking to source product or learn how manufacturing is done in the U.S.,IVC simplifies the process. For an individual or group, Philadelphia's IVC can arrange:

-         Group visits to industrial sites
-Observational tours of manufacturing or processing plants
-Internships with specialized manufacturing companies

OTHER SERVICES

American Cultural Experiences
The United States is a complex, diverse nation that's not easily understood.  Movies, TV and magazines offer a small glimpse into American life, but it's rarely accurate.  In the 1940's, to prevent future wars, people-to-people exchanges were created to bring people of different countries together to foster understanding of their cultures.

Since 1954, IVC of Philadelphia has promoted mutual understanding by showing the changing, diverse population that makes up the United States.  We do this on a personal level with exchanges that broaden the minds of both Americans and our international guests.

IVC's membership of more than five hundred are people of all ages who are eager to meet and exchange views on the environment, race relations, religion, children, movies, sports... just about any topic. Join them for American cultural experiences such as...

- Dinner in the homes of counterparts and other "typical" Americans.

- "Shadow Days:" experiencing a day in the life of an American executive, lawyer, etc.

- Touching the Liberty Bell and strolling along the same paths that Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and our other founding fathers walked, in what is now known as the "most historic square mile in America."

- Champagne trolley rides through historic Philadelphia with IVC members. 

- Barbecues with Americans and foreign nationals studying or working in the region.

- "Conversations With..." receptions- lively after work receptions with international guests and Americans enjoying fine food, good music and informal talk.

- "Doing Business Abroad" sessions where visitors share the cultural aspects of doing business in their country and offer insights into how Americans are viewed around the world.

- "Tailgating" parties at a polo match.  Group or individual outings to football, baseball, basketball, or hockey games.

- Group dining at American and ethnic restaurants.

Hotels
We have great rates at our favorite hotels, including the Courtyard Marriott, Club Quarters, the Radisson-Plaza Warwick Hotel  and the Marriott's Residence Inn.  All are located in Center City Philadelphia, which is a small, walkable European style downtown.  Your guests can walk to most appointments, plus taxis and subways make renting a car unnecessary!

Homestays
Friendly, cultural savvy IVC members open their homes to visitors for a weekend or a month.

Ground Transportation
Training participants are met at the Philadelphia International Airport.  Center City Philadelphia is a walkable European style downtown.  Walking and taking taxis are the modes of transportation.  Chartered vans and mini-busses are used for trips throughout the Greater Philadelphia area.

Special Receptions
Welcome and farewell receptions are held for training groups.  First Thursdays @ the Annex receptions are a popular monthly event (except July & January) where international guests meet local professionals in a friendly, informal setting.  Special "Conversation With. receptions" can be planned at any time of the month as part of the groups' visit.

Safety & Culture
Philadelphia is one of the safest communities in the U.S. because its Center City has a central business district that merges into neighborhoods of homes and condominiums.  Hotels are conveniently located; our world-class convention center is in the heart of town and is next door to the oldest urban farmers market in the U.S.  A "restaurant" city, Philadelphia boasts more acclaimed top restaurants in the country than New York and Chicago combined.  The moment a guests walks out of the hotel, there are banks, shops and restaurants, ATMs, bookstores and art galleries.  Within a few blocks is the third largest art museum in the country.

TRAINING & PROGRAM EXPERIENCE

International Visitor Leadership Program (1954-ongoing)
The IV Program is administered by the U.S. Department of States' Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, with the goal of increasing mutual understanding through communication at professional and personal levels.  Participants in the program are established or potential international leaders in government, politics, media, education, science, labor relations, business and other key fields.  They are selected by American embassies overseas to visit the U.S. to meet and confer with their professional counterparts, and to experience our country firsthand.   IVC of Philadelphia plans the Philadelphia portion of the participants' national program, including professional meetings, hospitality, historic tours and American cultural experiences.

Community Connections - Linking Philadelphia with Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan & Kyrgyzstan (1996-present)
This is a collaborative project between the U.S. Government and the Russian, Ukrainian, Kazakh, Azeri and Kyrgyz Governments.  Through intensive three to five-week technical training programs in the U.S., this program seeks to establish and strengthen ties between their entrepreneurs and business managers, legal professionals, media professionals, religious leaders and local government officials with their American counterparts. 

Philadelphia's IVC has conducted 28 technical training programs through a grant from the U.S. Department of State Office of Citizen Exchanges.  The project has involved follow-on travel with IVC staff and members to Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.

Because of our extensive expertise, the Philadelphia IVC has been asked to pilot several sensitive programs, including "Islam in a Diversified America," and "American Community Policing."

Sister Cities Program (1997 to present)
This program links Philadelphia with ten cities in nine countries.  We arrange cultural exchanges such as sending the Boys Choir to China, France, Italy, Korea and Russia.  We also handle inbound delegations and help local businesses develop relationships with businesses in our Sister Cities.

Growing Companies Initiative (2000-2004)
Working in partnership with the City of Philadelphia's Commerce Department, this project provides free export training to Philadelphia's small, minority and women-owned service and manufacturing firms.  This includes information, resources and marketing skills to successfully enter into and expand exporting to global markets.  Philadelphia's small, minority and women-owned business have access to free seminar series, mentoring, strategic planning and intensive counseling, based on their level of export readiness.  This program is funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration.

Cultural and Religious Pluralism in Uzbekistan and the U.S. (2004-2005)
Philadelphia's IVC is working in partnership with the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) to bring two groups of Uzbek Muslim religious leaders to Philadelphia to study the role that Islam plays in American society and the interreligious relationships that exist in the U.S. (Building on the successful Kazakh Muslim religious leaders program in the Community Connections Program in 2003.)  Philadelphians will travel to Uzbekistan to continue training activities. This program is funded by the U.S. Department of State.

Transparency & Openness Seed Grant (2004)
This Sister Cities program, funded by Standard & Poor's, provided Philadelphia's IVC and Nizhny Novgorod, Russia with funds to create transparency project.  Two delegations visited Philadelphia for meetings and observation of citizen groups and government agencies in action.  Philadelphia's Health Commissioner visited Nizhny to discuss transparency of health issues, such as AIDS/HIV.

Moldovan Rural Tourism Project (2004)
Philadelphia's IVC partnered with Drexel University to provide professional programming for a group of rural tourism specialists from Moldova.  Meetings, tours, visits to tourism facilities and special events were planned. Philadelphians will travel to Moldova to follow-on with the project activities.  This program was funded by the U.S. Department of State.

Freedom Trade Project (1999)
This pilot project provided export technical assistance to local companies, in partnership with the City of Philadelphia's Commerce Department.  It was soon realized that a trade office was needed to continue the work beyond the life of the grant, and to house the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania trade specialist.  Thus, in collaboration with the Philadelphia Commerce Department, IVC created "The Philadelphia Trade Office."  This office offers a system of delivering export assistance to local companies in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's export programs. This program was funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration.

U.S.-Ukraine Community Partnership for Local Government Training & Education: Lviv & Philadelphia - Tourism for Economic Development (1999-2000)
The project provided public administration education and training to local governments in Ukraine.  By establishing community partnerships, the project sought to produce mutually beneficial and sustainable relationships that could continue to promote improved local government practices beyond the life of the project.  Philadelphia and Lviv were one of eighteen community partnerships in the project.  Three Philadelphia local government and tourism groups visited Lviv and one Lviv local government group visited Philadelphia for the purpose of fostering tourism development in Lviv by utilizing Philadelphia as a model.  This program was funded by a grant from the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

U.S. - N.I.S. Municipal & Community Problem-Solving Project: Philadelphia & Nizhny Novgorod - Small Business as a Vehicle for Economic Development (1997-1999)
This local government initiative between sister cities of the United States and the former Soviet Union focused on a municipal or community problem in Russia.  Philadelphia partnered with its Sister City, Nizhny Novgorod, in the area of small business support services as an economic development vehicle.  The project involved a trip to Nizhny Novgorod by a delegation of City of Philadelphia and IVC officials to meet with their counterparts.  As a result of the visit a small business services directory was developed for the Nizhny Novgorod City Government to distribute to its small business owners and entrepreneurs, similar to the City of Philadelphia's Mayors Business Action Team Business Services Directory.

This program was funded by the U.S. Department of State by a grant from Sister Cities International.

Business for Russia (1994-1996) / Presidential Management Training Initiative (1998-1999)
These seven technical training programs provided by Philadelphia's IVC included four-week internships in Greater Philadelphia businesses, professional meetings/on-sites visits, academic seminars and American acculturation programs.  This was the predecessor to the Community Connections Program and was funded by the U.S. Department of State.

USAID Community Enhancement Project - AID Trainees (1995)
This research and community education project developed and enhanced IVC's business/industry resources for internships and technical training programs for U.S.AID trainees.  This was funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development through the National Council for International Visitors.

Entrepreneurs International/USAID Training Programs (1993 - 1998)
These technical training and internship programs were designed for small and mid-sized business owners and managers from developing countries sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Jefferson Fellows Mentoring Project (1992-1993)
This project was an intensive professional mentorship and community orientation/enrichment project for USAID scholars and trainees in the Greater Philadelphia community.  It was funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development through the National Council for International Visitors.

Fulbright Regional Enrichment Center for Eastern Pennsylvania/New Jersey/Delaware (1991-1993)
This enrichment program was for international and American Fulbright scholars, students and alumni.  The project included American orientation programs, speakers' bureau and professional and cultural activities.  It was funded by a three-year grant from the then-U.S. Information Agency through NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

Discover America: Behind the Headlines With Benjamin Franklin (1989-1990)
This innovative orientation program was designed to introduce sponsored international visitors and foreign nationals to the US political and economic systems in celebration of the bicentennial of the U.S. Bill of Rights and Benjamin Franklin's achievements.  The project included readings, discussion groups, seminars and on-site visits.  This series of one-day to five-day programs served approximately 3,000 participants and was made possible by a grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Constitutional Philadelphia (1986-1987)
This study of the U.S. Constitution and the American political system for prestigious international leaders was part of the bicentennial of the US Constitution.  Programs included orientation seminars, reading, historical tours, on-site visits and special events.  The series of one-day to five-day programs served approximately 4,000 participants and was funded by grants from the then- U.S. Information Agency (now State Department) and the Pew Charitable Trusts.

USAID Mid-Winter Community Seminars (1970-1989)
These community seminars were for USAID students and scholars from American universities during the Christmas-New Year holiday period.  The project included professional conference, academic seminars, on-site visits, tours and American acculturation programs.  The annual ten-day conference; was made possible by an annual grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development through the National Council for International Visitors.