Welcome a 9-member delegation from the Rivne and Ternopil Oblasts of Western Ukraine in NW Ohio from August 6 - 27, 2012 sponsored by the USAID Community Connection Program through the Alliance for Quality Education, Inc. as national hosting organization of this program. Participants are interested in "Local Government Advocacy:Promoting Decentralization and Economic Growth". They have meeting with their counterparts and have joint workshops, discussions and consultancy, share experience and gain new ideas that they can implement in Ukraine after their return. 

Welcome a 6-member delegation from Kyrgyzstan in NW Ohio from March 9-17, 2012 sponsored by the Open World program. Participants are interested in "Accountable Governance: Economic Development & Innovation". 

Welcome a 16-member delegation from Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia from March 26-May 5, 2012 to the U.S. sponsored by the U.S. State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The first group of Professional Fellows on the "Citizen Legislative Advocacy in Minority Communities" program will travel around the U.S. to meet with their counterparts and have joint workshops, discussion, consultancy, plus they will have 3-week internships before they re-unite in Washington, D.C. at the U. S. State Department "Professional Fellows Congress" in early May.

As part of this exchange U.S. mentors will travel to Europe in July for a 3-week program working with program alumni presenting workshops and assisting with consultation during July 2012, November/December 2012 and in January/February 2013. 

Check out the new exchange opportunity: Professional Fellows Exchange Program 2013-2014 - 

    "Building Grassroots Democracy in Minority Communities"

Locally organized by Great Lakes Consortium for International Training and Development
     Program Theme: Legislative Process and Governance
     Eligible Countries: Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia

     Application Deadline: November 15, 2012

     Application Deadline for Fall 2013 is extended to: January 1, 2013

     Program Announcement                   Application Form                Program website

Volunteer Professional Internship Opportunity - On-line!

(Starting December 2011)

GLC is accepting applications for volunteer internship. Students or community partners who already have experience or interested to gain experience in international training and development activities (incl. event planning and organization, coordination of international visitor programs, grant research and grant writing, global and local communication, web-update, documentation, PR and media connection) please contact Elizabeth Balint at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . We will tailor your activities to your interest. You can work from home but having a skype connection is a plus.