1. Digital Documentation and Storytelling Build Greater Appreciation for Jordan’s Cultural Heritage

   An inventory and storage upgrade project supported by the State Department at the Madaba Regional Archaeological Museum was put on hold in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. EMPOWER Participants Promote Disability Rights Around the World

   

   EMPOWER participants work together to promote disability rights.

3. Red Lists of Antiquities at Risk

   Red Lists of Antiquities at Risk are compact, illustrated booklets designed for customs officials, police officers, museums, art dealers, and collectors, to help them recognize the general types of archaeological, ethnographic, and ecclesiastical objects that have been looted from cultural sites, stolen from museums and churches, and illicitly trafficked.

4. J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program Incident Reporting - OPA

   

   Learn about the J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program, the Office of Private Sector Exchange Administration (OPA), and how program sponsors, exchange visitors, and interested parties can identify and report incidents.

5. Michael Zantovsky

   First Name

   Michael

   Participant Headshot

   

   Short Biography

   

    

   Content created by Virtual Intern  Helen Zeidman

   Michael Zantovsky is a Czech diplomat, politician, and author who leverages the power of words to advance international understanding. Zantovsky became the press secretary and spokesperson for Czech president Vaclav Havel after the Velvet Revolution. In 1990, when President George H.W. Bush visited Prague, Zantovsky met the White House press secretary which laid the foundation for Zantovsky's exchange experience in the United States.

   In 1991, Zantovsky traveled to the United States through the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) to learn about American media relations. "My still largely intuitive and improvised press operation back home was a far cry from the well-organized and systematic manner in which the White House media message was elaborated and processed, and the various talking points prepared," he said. During his IVLP, Zantovsky said that "I had access everywhere and could speak to everyone. In the ten or so days I spent there, I learned a whole lot. It was something between sitting in a front row at a world class boxing match and going back to school."

   Zantovsky later became Ambassador to the United States, Israel, and Great Britain and after serving as a diplomat, he wrote Havel: A Life, a biography of Vaclav Havel that was popular in both Czech and English. In 2015, Zantovsky became the Executive Director of the Vaclav Havel Library in Prague, and through conferences and events, the library and its archives shares the life of Havel with the people.

   Michael Zantovsky advocates for international diplomacy on and off the page and for increasing access to information through literature.

   Edited by Virtual Interns Regina Navarro-Gomez and Kristin Mitra

    

   Photo

   

   

   

   Home Country

   Czech Republic

   Last name

   Zantovsky

   IVLP Alumni

6. Teachers of Critical Languages

   

   American students learn languages such as Chinese and Arabic from native speakers.

7. Cal Ripken, Jr. Leads International Sports Exchange with Japan

   

   Hall of fame baseball player Cal Ripken, Jr., traveled to Japan on behalf of the Department of State to put on baseball clinics and work with kids affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

8. The Language of Understanding

   

   A National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) student describes her time studying Arabic in Egypt.

9. Wheelchair Tennis Envoy David Wagner Hits Grand Slam with Canadian Youth

   David Wagner’s visit is a testament to the advancement and continued work by the State Department to provide access for all.

10. Learn Russian Next Summer!

    

    Jessica Gumucio, Senior at Davidson College, studied Russian in Vladimir, Russia in Summer 2015 on a Critical Language Scholarship (CLS).

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