Community Connections

In 2006, World Services of La Crosse was selected as a hosting organization for the Community Connections program. Community Connections participants are selected by the USAID mission in their respective countries for the three week professional exchange training program in the U.S. Volunteer professionals and home stay hosts welcome Community Connections participants to La Crosse. Typically, World Services identifies complementary professional training volunteers in other Wisconsin, Minnesota, or Iowa communities.

Community Connections, managed by the U.S. Agency for international Development (USAID) and administered by World Learning, is designed to promote 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, Kyrgyzstan Republic, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

The goals of the Community Connections program are to:

Expose participants to the institutions and challenges of a democratic, free market society;
Inspire participants to implement change in their home countries;
Build public-private partnerships; and
Create professional linkages between the American host communities and the participants' home communities.

World Services of La Crosse Community Connections Delegations:

La Crosse, WI Minneapolis, MN	2010 “Hospital Administration”	Moldova
La Crosse, WI Madison, WI Minneapolis, MN	2009 “Public Health: Sexually Transmitted Infections”	Ukraine
La Crosse, WI Wisconsin Rapids, WI Minneapolis, MN	2009 “NGO-Municipality Cooperation in Community Development”	Azerbaijan
La Crosse, WI Rice Lake, WI Stillwater, MN	2008 “Village and Rural Tourism”	Serbia
La Crosse, WI Sparta, WI Chicago, IL	2008 “Agribusiness New Technology and Food Quality and Safety Standards”	Kazakhstan
La Crosse, WI Madison WI Minneapolis, MN	2008 “Healthy Way of Life for Youth”	Ukraine
La Crosse, WI Minneapolis, MN	2007 “Civil Society and Infectious Disease Control ”	Russia: Khabarovsky & Primorskiy Krais
La Crosse, WI Des Moines, IA	2007 “Community Involvement in Health Promotion”	Russia: Stavropol Krai & Rostov Oblast
La Crosse, WI Appleton, WI	2006 “Women’s Health Promotion”	Azerbaijan
La Crosse, WI Madison, WI	2006 “Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect”	Belarus
La Crosse, WI Duluth, MN Minneapolis, MN	2006 “Social Assistance Infrastructure for Victims of Domestic Violence”	Moldova

For additional information about the international professional development exchanges designed by World Services, please contact us: info@wslax.us.