Voices of Exchange delivers unforgettable first-person stories from people transformed by international exchange.
This podcast is brought to you by the Office of Alumni Affairs in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).
You can also listen to Voices of Exchange on our website, Alumni.state.gov/voicesofexchange.
Also follow us on Instagram @voicesofexchange.
Publisher
U.S. State Department, ECA Office of Alumni Affairs
How can you be a rock band without instruments – and connect with people through song? Tune in to the next episode of Voices of Exchange and discover how one a capella group, The House Jacks, created a pitch perfect connection through song and how their music has struck a chord with audiences across the world, most recently in Latvia and Estonia.
With a special holiday treat at the end, this final episode of Season 3 is one you won’t want to miss.
Catch Voices of Exchange on all major podcast platforms and at alumni.state.gov/voicesofexchange (https://alumni.state.gov/voicesofexchange). Subscribe at bit.ly/SubscribenowVoE.
8 Dec 2022
Pivoting to in Person - Hip-Hop Diplomacy, Part 2
What happens when five musicians who have never met before and haven’t performed in person since the start of the pandemic get together in Abu Dhabi and Dubai?
In the second part of this hip-hop diplomacy story, the ExchangeAlumni team of Next Level artist-educators dive into the magic of connecting in person and serendipity.
For more Voices of Exchange, visit alumni.state.gov/voicesofexchange (http://alumni.state.gov/voicesofexchange). Subscribe at bit.ly/SubscribenowVoE (http://bit.ly/SubscribenowVoE).
1 Dec 2022
Music and Mutual Interests - Hip-Hop Diplomacy, Part 1
What happens when five musicians who have never met before and haven’t performed in person since the start of the pandemic get together in Abu Dhabi? Music, magic, and lifelong connections through “hip-hop culture.”
In the first part of this hip-hop diplomacy story, the ExchangeAlumni team of Next Level artist-educators and Next Level Director Julian Brickhouse chop it up on music and mutual interests, and the breakthroughs they made in the United Arab Emirates.
For more Voices of Exchange, visit alumni.state.gov/voicesofexchange. Subscribe at bit.ly/SubscribenowVoE.
25 Aug 2022
Breaking the Silence
Marie Christina Kolo wasn’t trying to be Wonder Woman when it came to the secret she kept for many years. But in her work as a climate activist, she wanted to be strong for her community. It wasn’t until she became a Mandela Washington Fellow that Marie Christine found the courage to get vulnerable, which allowed her to make a deeper impact.
11 Aug 2022
Books, Beer, and Nature-Based Climate Solutions
To some people, dealing with climate change might seem like an uphill battle and even be depressing. But to Melissa Low, an ExchangeAlumni who has been working in the field – and participating in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties, or COP – for over a decade, it’s not a zero-sum game.
21 Jul 2022
Race, Belonging, and Reclaiming Your Story - Part 2
Mathew Holloway and Cornelius Finley have a few things in common: they are both Black men. They both come from Southern United States. And they are both ExchangeAlumni, who attended a seminar on American identity with other exchange program alumni in Minneapolis, Minnesota. But that’s where the similarities end...
In our two-part series on American identity on Voices of Exchange, Mathew and Cornelius talk about race, belonging, reclaiming your story, and why American identity is not just “black and white.”
7 Jul 2022
Race, Belonging, and Reclaiming Your Story - Part 1
Mathew B. Holloway II and Cornelius Finley have a few things in common: they are both Black men. They both come the Southern United States. And they are both ExchangeAlumni, who attended a seminar on American Identity with other exchange program alumni in Minneapolis, Minnesota. But that’s where the similarities end...
NOTE: The description above has been edited to correct an error. Mathew grew up in a small town, while Cornelius grew up in one of the biggest cities in the U.S.!
23 Jun 2022
Monumental Moments, Part 2
In the second episode of our three part arc on ExchangeAlumni working with augmented reality, or, AR, we spoke with Julia Beabout, the CEO and creative director of an award-winning AR creative studio.
We continue our dive into the transformative power of the technology with ExchangeAlumni Grady Hart, Julia’s partner on the augmented reality project, Monumental Conversations. Grady - an ExchangeAlumni of the Mandela Washington Reciprocal Exchange program and a community partnerships coordinator in Richmond, Virginia - talks about learning about systemic racism in his own community for the first time and how that spurred him to right some of the wrongs of the past by raising the voices of those who have traditionally not had a voice.
9 Jun 2022
Monumental Moments, Part 1
In Richmond, Virginia, ExchangeAlumni Julia Beabout and Grady Hart teamed up to create Monumental Conversations, an augmented reality project that centers on the undertold stories of Black resilience and excellence in Richmond. Little did they know how the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd would transform their project.
In this second of three episodes on the power of AR on Voices of Exchange, we hear how Julia got a deeper look at racism and its effect on a community, how her international exchange experience in China through the Critical Language Scholarship led her to the Monumental Conversations project with Grady, and more.
26 May 2022
The Power & Connection of AR
For Isabelle Foster, her return to the U.S. during the pandemic could have marked an end to a budding project. Yet the physical distance from her team created a new perspective that was perfect for those pulled miles apart: TavAR, an augmented reality (AR) app that brings communities closer to their roots and welcomes tourists to new places and stories.
In the first of three episodes on Voices of Exchange, we hear how Fulbright ExchangeAlumni Isabelle Foster, David Franco, and Tania Vargas are using AR to build resilience and preserve culture, and the ripple effects of their efforts.
Everyone has a story to tell. On Voices of Exchange, join us this season to hear how augmented reality can redefine a place; see American identity through non-immigrant eyes; explore climate activism in tribal nations and elsewhere; and, experience how hip-hop artist-educators are promoting multilateral relations.
18 Apr 2022
Voices of Exchange - Season 3 Trailer
Welcome to Season 3 of Voices of Exchange, a podcast that delivers unforgettable first-person stories from people transformed by international exchange.
This season we’re exploring how augmented reality is unlocking rural communities; how diversity and inclusion overlap in America and the world; and how artist-educators in hip hop culture are fostering creative exchanges to promote multilateral relations.
This podcast is brought to you by the Office of Alumni Affairs in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).
New episodes will be released every two weeks on all major podcast platforms.
You can also listen to Voices of Exchange on our website at alumni.state.gov/voicesofexchange and follow us on Instagram @voicesofexchange.
8 Mar 2022
Shape the Future of This Podcast!
Voices of Exchange highlights the remarkable stories of U.S and international ExchangeAlumni whose lives have been transformed by international exchange.
Over the past two seasons, we've embarked on a journey of unexpected discoveries - from a NASA scientist inspired by Star Trek, to a poet turned diplomat, to an airline cabin crew member turned podcaster and entrepreneur.
Now, we want to hear from you! As we look forward to next season, we'd like to know: What was your favorite Voices of Exchange episode? What stories do you want to hear more of? Do you have other questions or feedback for us?
Send us an email at voicesofexchange@state.gov (mailto:voicesofexchange@state.gov) or message us on social media @VoicesofExchange to help us improve the podcast! And, if you enjoy our show, don’t forget to rate and review us on whatever platform you listen on.
10 Feb 2022
Brains, Bindi, and Braids
Join us for the season closer of Voices of Exchange, featuring Dr. Swati Mohan, NASA aerospace engineer and U.S. Speaker Program ExchangeAlumni, this Thursday, February 10 at 8:00 a.m. ET. Celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science with Dr. Mohan’s journey from Bengaluru, India to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, her viral moment as the lead for the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover landing, and why she is a big proponent of encouraging other women to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
27 Jan 2022
Tolerance Comes from the Heart
A chance encounter during his International Visitor Leadership Program, or IVLP exchange, gave Imtiaz Asin a new perspective on life. While traveling in the U.S., Imtiaz experienced tolerance, cultural awareness, and diversity within the melting pot of cultures. When he returned to Canada, Imtiaz brought these lessons back to his community where he is the Vice President of the largest Muslim organization, the B.C. Muslim Association.
In this episode, we hear how Imtiaz is re-energizing old ideologies, how he is empowering women and the next generation of leaders, and why he believes tolerance comes from the heart.
13 Jan 2022
Fueled by Curiosity
A chance meeting led EdTech founder, entrepreneur, podcast host, and ExchangeAlumni Nidhi Nidhi to her first experience with the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP). But it wasn’t the first time curiosity led Nidhi to new experiences.
In this episode of Voices of Exchange, travel with Nidhi from India to Singapore, Switzerland, and the U.S. to discover the ties that bind us, how Nidhi challenged societal norms, and how she is empowering young girls to take risks.
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