Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 Written by Emily W.

Members of the Alliance meet on Capitol Hill

CDS Executive Director Rob Fenstermacher and Program Officer Will Maier recently joined over 80 colleagues from exchange organizations around the U.S. for a day of advocacy for international exchange programs on Capitol Hill. The visits and two-day program were arranged by the Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange, an association of 77 nongovernmental organizations comprising the international educational and cultural exchange community in the United States.

Delegations visited the offices of U.S. Congressional Representatives and Senators to stress the importance of and increase awareness for educational and cultural exchange initiatives, including the Exchange Visitor Program (which supports J-1 Interns and Trainees coming to the U.S.) and State Department-funded programs (such as the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals).

Issues raised included a request on behalf of the exchange community for a 6% increase over 2010 federal funding for State Department educational and cultural exchanges (versus President Obama’s requested $1.8M decrease in funding for these programs). Read the Alliance’s complete list of position papers related to Advocacy Day 2010 for more in-depth information.

Categories: CBYX, CDS International, Events, J-1 Visa No Comments »

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 Written by Melissa

CDS International is pleased to report that the Alfa Fellowship Program (AFP) had more applicants for Program Year 2010–2011 than ever before; a 28% increase over last year. The applicants formed a competitive group, but were eventually narrowed down to 24 finalists. Selection Interviews were held at the end of January in New York City. After two days of relaxed conversations over meals, followed by tough questions during the interviews, the Selection Committee selected ten individuals who were invited to form Alfa Fellowship Program Group #8.

Fellows on a previous program enjoy the professional experience in Russia.

AFP #8 is comprised of 10 Fellows with varying interests and areas of specialization. Included in the group is a Fellow with significant experience on the topic of non-proliferation and nuclear security, a Fellow with a focus on green building and clean energy, and a Fellow who has a combined background in law and mental health, interested in learning about legal rights of the mentally disabled in Russia. All of the Fellows have studied Russian previously, each with varying degrees of fluency.

AFP #8 will be joined in Moscow by up to five U.K. Fellows, whose selection was held in mid-February at Oxford University. We look forward to bringing the U.S. and U.K. Fellows together and congratulate all the Fellows on their acceptance into the Alfa Fellowship Program.

Categories: Alfa, Fellowships, Russia No Comments »

Friday, March 5th, 2010 Written by Emily W.

When Katy Sandiford told me she was going to Seattle to visit some of our host companies, like Amazon and IBI Group, I jumped at the chance to pick out a place for her to host a happy hour. A few years back I was in Seattle and met a friend at the Alibi Room, a bar/lounge near the historic Pike Place market and so we chose this spot to host our get-together. Katy was greeted by over 15 CDS friends who joined her for food, drinks, and international discourse. Current participants from all over the world who are interning in Seattle got to meet CDS alumni from a variety of CDS programs who are now living and working in the Seattle area. Katy couldn’t have been happier with her timing in Seattle since the weather was pleasant and the skies were so clear you could see the top of Mount Ranier! Other highlights included a visit to the Seattle Public Library designed by famous Dutch Architect Rem Koolhaas, the amazing Seattle bus system with its downtown ride free zones, and the eclectic boutiques and restaurants of Pioneer Square. We have upcoming get-togethers in Portland, Ann Arbor, and New York City—so stay tuned!

Categories: Alumni, Events, J-1 Visa No Comments »

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 Written by Emily W.

On January 25, 2010, CDS alumni and current participants met for a celebration of international experiences. In attendance were people from our Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals, the Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship, and the Transatlantic Renewable Energy Fellowship programs. We swapped stories about experiences working abroad over drinks and hors d’œuvres at the restaurant Asia Nine. Then we headed over to the Landmark Theater for the Goethe Institut’s annual German-language film festival. The selected movie was Tandoori Love, a Swiss comedy featuring a Bollywood film crew on location in the Alps. Though we struggled at times with the film’s Swiss dialect, we could still appreciate the intercultural run-ins between the main characters, an Indian cook and a Swiss hotel employee.

Categories: Activities, Alumni, Bosch, CBYX, TREF No Comments »

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 Written by Chad

The year 2009 proved to be the most competitive year in the 27-year history of the Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program. Forty-four outstanding finalists were selected from the largest pool of applications ever received. They were invited to participate in selection interviews in New York City from January 19–21, 2010.

Fellows during the 2008–2009 year prepare for a professional experience in Germany

For each candidate, the interview process was comprised of a formal meal and panel interview with the distinguished members of the 2010 Bosch Fellowship Selection Committee, as well as a German language aptitude assessment.

Twenty exceptional young professionals from the fields of public policy, law, business and journalism were ultimately granted the Fellowship. They have already begun their intensive one-on-one German tutoring sessions in their hometowns in order to prepare them for a year of intensive seminars, meetings with key German and European decision-makers, and high-level work placements in both the public and private sectors. Most Fellows will depart for Germany in early June to begin intensive in-country language training before the Fellowship Program officially kicks off with its first of three seminars in September.

Congratulations to the new members of Bosch XXVII and viel Glueck with your language training!

Categories: Bosch, Germany No Comments »

Thursday, February 11th, 2010 Written by Chad

Our offices will be closed this Monday in observance of President’s Day. We plan on using the time digging out from the snowpocalypse and charging our batteries for an exciting spring.

We’ll be back at work on Tuesday—please contact us then with any questions or concerns.

CDS participant, My America contestant, and Presidential hopeful Georgi Tsankov

Enjoy the long holiday!

Categories: CDS International, Contests No Comments »

Thursday, January 28th, 2010 Written by Emily W.

Rob Fenstermacher & Linda Boughton,
CDS Executives

CDS International would like to sincerely thank all of our 2009 donors for helping us raise over $37,000 this past year for our mission! In light of the economic downturn, our donors understood the importance of international experiences. We would like to recognize them for believing in the power of the CDS mission.

Strong support came in the form of intimate gatherings such as the cocktail party fundraiser hosted by donors Mark and Nancy Malone. Through their event, they were able to introduce many new donors to our community while collecting significant contributions—thanks Mark and Nancy!

One of our new donors was a young man from Germany who met his fiancée when she was on her CDS program there—he wanted to thank CDS for bringing them together by making a donation in honor of his parents.

Board Members were particularly hands on this year helping us to set new goals in addition to providing financial support.

CDS alumni from all over the world showed us how much their experience on our programs continues to mean to them through their donations, especially in a tough job market.

A special thanks to the Bayer Foundation for continuing to support CDS. Over the years their generosity has been paramount in sustaining valuable work experiences through financial support to our programs.

These donations will be crucial in helping us provide scholarships for American’s interning abroad. They will also lead to further program expansion and will support intercultural dialogue through events and workshops. We look forward to working with you all in 2010! Find out more on how you can become a part of our international community of donors.

Thank you again for supporting the projects and initiatives that you believe in with CDS International!

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Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 Written by Chad

The Hon. Philip D. Murphy, U.S. Ambassador to Germany

Fellows and alumni from the Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program and the Transatlantic Renewable Energy Fellowship recently met with Ambassador Philip D. Murphy in Germany.

They were part of a larger group of fellowship representatives who convened to discuss U.S.–German exchange programs and U.S.–German cooperation on energy and climate issues.

The Fellows also had the chance to describe their experiences in Germany and emphasize the importance of these programs in order to confront the challenges in these fields.

Keep up with the Fellows’ experiences through their online Transatlantic Renewable Energy Fellowship Journal.

Categories: Alumni, Bosch, Fellowships, TREF No Comments »

Thursday, January 14th, 2010 Written by Emily W.

The following post was written by Lori Herber, a 2006 alumna of the Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program. She currently lives in Champagne, Illinois, and recently attended the opening of the Ruhr Museum in Germany.

With initial funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung, I began a project three years ago following seven locals of the Ruhr Region, photographing and interviewing them as they define their role in the former-coal-mining-giant-turned-cultural Mecca, as well as the role the region itself plays in Germany. The Ruhr Region is fascinating—it is the third largest metropolitan area in all of Europe after London and Paris, but it’s also the rust belt of Germany.

My project features former coal miners, Turkish immigrants, a famous soccer player and first-generation college student, and more and will be on display at the Ruhr Museum for 10 years—if you are in this area of Germany check it out!

In the Ruhr region, instead of the coal mines and steel mills crumbling with abandon, they are being renovated into theaters, opera houses, shopping malls, and museums, it’s truly a revolution.

The Ruhr Museum itself is located in the so-called “Eiffel Tower of the Ruhr Region”: a former coal mine named Zeche Zollverein, which has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Ruhr Museum’s opening on January 9, 2010, heralds an entire year of cultural festivities, as the Ruhr Region has been named the “European Cultural Capital of 2010.”

Get a sneak peak of the Ruhr Museum by watching this video courtesy of Deutsche Welle that features one of my German photographer friends, Brigitte Kramer, taking a camera crew through the renovated museum. It’s in German, but the first two minutes are visually captivating as the orange lighting of the stairway is reflective of hot coal and molten steel.

Categories: Alumni, Bosch No Comments »

Friday, January 8th, 2010 Written by Evan

Happy New Year from CDS International! While 2009 may be over, our photo and video contests aren’t! We’re thrilled that so many people chose to spend 2009 living abroad with CDS International—and we want to see your stories!

We invite everyone who participated in a CDS International program in 2009 to enter the My America or Beyond My America Photo Contests, as well as the ABROADcast Video Contest by January 31, 2010 and share your adventures with us. We want to see the world that you experienced!

Photo Contests

My America

The My America photo contest invites you to reveal the America that you experienced while living and training in the United States. We’re looking for new perspectives on American life—express yourself! Inspire us with the images that made up your time in an 8–10 image photo essay. We want to see life in the workplace, American landscapes, the people you’ve met, and the friends you’ve made during your journey.

Get Inspired! Check out the People’s Choice Award Winner for 2008’s My America Contest!

Beyond My America

The Beyond My America photo contest invites you to express creatively your impressions from your experiences abroad. Inspire us with the images from your time abroad on the program in an 8–10 image photo essay. We want to see your workplace experiences, foreign countryside, and the interesting people you’ve met along the way.

HINT
Try picking a theme! Last year’s winners chose stunning landscapes, a family wine harvest, the joys and colors of daily urban life, and the leisure and freedom of the America’s West as their themes. If you’re looking for photo inspiration, check out last year’s winning entries!

Video Contest

The ABROADcast video contest is your opportunity to feature in your very own short movie. You’ll have three minutes or less to share with us your life abroad. Entries can be high-production masterpieces, spur of the moment phone clips, or music videos. No prior photography/video experience necessary—just a camera and some spirit. Captivate. Inspire. Entertain. Win!

Get Inspired! Watch the Grand Prize & People’s Choice Award Winner for 2008’s ABROADcast Contest!

Prizes

Each contest offers one of these fantastic prizes:

• A US$500 travel voucher from STA Travel,
• An iPod Nano,
• A two-year subscription to Flickr, or
• A gift card from Rick Steves’ Travel Store!

Your photos could also be featured in CDS publications!

Deadline & Rules

The deadline to enter the contests is January 31, 2010. You can learn more about the contests’ rules, see previous winners, and submit your entries online.

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding the contest or your entry, please contact Evan Kerrigan at [email address redacted; please enable JavaScript].

Good luck!

Categories: Alumni, Argentina, Canada, Contests, Germany, J-1 Visa, Russia, Spain, Switzerland No Comments »