Alumni Coordinator for Europe and Eurasia Meets with Latvian Alumni

The alumni coordinator for Europe and Eurasia, Jason Haserodt, visited Latvia for three days. During his visit, Mr. Haserodt met with various groups of local alumni. He had a meeting with the Youth Exchange Program alumni at the Riga State High School and held a lively discussion with the students about the establishment of an alumni association and better collaboration among alumni from different programs. The Alumni Coordinator also had a chance to visit two active alumni projects and talk to the project coordinators. Jason visited the Baltic Center for Investigative Journalism, led by H. Humphrey pro-gram alumna Inga Springe, and the "Be Aware- Trafficking in Per-sons" project, led by Humphrey and VOLVIS alumni. At the end of his visit, Mr. Haserodt met with the Education USA coordinator and had a dinner hosted by the Deputy Chief of Mis-sion, Caryn McClelland, which was attended by a diverse group of Latvian alumni (see photo).

Alumni Project about Human Trafficking in Progress

Latvian Representative Participates in Alumni Conference

Janis Zeimanis, a Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program alumnus, participated in this year’s European Network of American Alumni Associations (ENAM) Conference, "Who's Who - Identity in a Changing World." After his arrival, Janis shared with other USG-sponsored alumni leaders from Europe his idea to launch a Latvian alumni asso-ciation. Commenting on what he learned at the conference, Janis reflects: “My plan is to successfully launch a Latvian Alumni Association. What we have done so far is to come together and discuss the proposal for throwing a party for all alumni as a means of starting the association and to encourage alumni to actively contribute ideas. We have the greatest support from our local embassy, so the process is underway. During the conference, I met with many representatives from European alumni associations and they shared their experiences from other countries. Today, we should be proud of our great alumni and their projects. These projects include The Baltic Center for Investiga-tive journalism, the “Be Aware! – Trafficking in Persons” project, and a variety of student initiatives. These innovative projects show that our alumni are active, engaged, full of amazing ideas and willing to share their experiences.”

Congratulations to Alumni Inga Lande and Beate Kaupasa

The Latvian Ministry of Education awarded Certificates of Appre-ciation for outstanding contributions to devel-oping the educational system in Latvia to two TEA alumni, Inga Lande and Beate Kaupasa. Inga and Beate are Assistant Principals and English language teachers at the Riga Grammar School of Nordic Lan-guages.

From left: Beate Kaupasa, Inga Lande

From left: Juris Zvikovs, Laura Zvejniece, Indra Karapet-jana, Kerri Spindler- Ranta, Jason Haserodt, Caryn McClelland, Sergejs Kruks, Andris Purvlicis

Janis Zeimanis during his Fulbright Exchange program at Jacksonville High, Illinois, U.S.A

The alumni project “Be Aware– Trafficking in Per-sons!” led by Humphrey alumna Vineta Polatside is going full steam ahead. A short documentary provid-ing an overview of human trafficking is currently under development. Participants of the project have visited several schools and met with students to discuss TIP issues and the main risks of human trafficking. The audience for the pro-ject is youth aged 13 – 20, especially those from rural areas with high unemploy-ment and thus a higher trafficking risk. Vineta Polatside talks to students at

Riga Evening High School Nr. 9

Name our Newsletter and Win!

Have a creative name for our newsletter? Send your idea to AlumniLatvia@state.gov and you could win a cool prize!

My name is Laura and I am 22 years old. Luckily, I was appointed to be the Lat-vian representative for the U.S Department of State’s Interna-tional Visitors Leadership pro-gram “Accountability in Gov-ernment”. I have to say it was amazing. I had never been to the U.S. before, so it was my first time and I experienced three weeks full of emotions and knowledge.

Our group included 22 representatives from 22 different countries around the world. It was a multicultural environment with one unique thought - how to fight corrup-tion and what kind of experi-ence Americans have in this field.

It may sound surpris-ing, but Americans really deal with corruption in the best way possible – they have systems and long-term planning to

avoid threats of corruption. One reason why the system works is the American men-

tality, a deep understanding and belief in democracy. Americans really invest a lot of resources in their officials and research. They trust in each other and they trust in laws. The important lesson I

Laura Zvejniece Shares Her IVLP Experience.

Page 2 February / 2012

learned from Americans was patriotism. They are proud of their country, people, and

achievements. There are several

ideas I brought back from the program. I am working on some of them already, and others I will keep in mind until the right time

comes. What I realized dur-ing the program is that we should have lobbying laws that are similar to the system in America. It is a great ex-ample for democracy and transparency.

After attending the program, I feel that we should be braver about ask-ing for responsibility from politicians and officials. We should be braver to express our opinions and emotions. We should be braver to sup-port each other and partici-pate in our society. It will take time for us Latvians to get to the level that the U.S. has in the fields of anticorruption and accountability, but we are on the right path. I hope more and more citizens will feel responsible for our country so we will catch up quickly with the Americans.

2012 Call for Proposals Now accepting applications- win a grant of up to $20,000!

The U.S. Embassy invites USG sponsored program alumni to submit proposals for the 2012

ECA Alumni Project Competition

This annual competition supports alumni engagement on strategic priority themes including:

English language learning, youth leadership, public/private partnerships, democracy and human rights, eco-nomic opportunity, prosperity and entrepreneurship, women’s empowerment, promoting a better environ-

ment, food security, global health, outreach to marginalized communities, expanding and strengthening peo-ple-to-people relationship, combating violent extremism, and policy-making.

Project activities must include USG sponsored program alumni, other key professionals (journalists,

educators, civil society law makers, etc.) and members of the general public.

Deadline for project proposals: February 20, 2012

Please email us at AlumniLatvia@state.gov for more information and project submission form.

ning, I am confident that our time together will be enjoyable and productive, and that our students will learn much from each other.”

We have both gained a lot from our cooperation. Mary con-ducted a few of her classes via Skype and I joined in to speak to and share with her students. She offered her expertise to col-leagues in Latvia, and was eager to find out all the details about the education system here. Mary spent two inten-sive weeks in Latvia, and she met students of the Grammar School of Nordic Languages, Riga Secondary School No. 34 and Valmiera State Gym-nasium. During these visits she discussed various issues

A history teacher from Miami and myself, Inga Lande, a teacher of English from Riga, met in Lincoln, Nebraska, in March of 2010 when the 2010 TEA (Teaching Excellence and Achievement) Program cohort came to-gether to analyze the success of the program. We were both amazed at how we immedi-ately clicked and found our-selves to be kindred spirits. In August of the same year I applied to IREX (International Research and Exchanges Board) indicating my interest and willingness to host a U.S. teacher, and in the spring of 2011, Mary T. McCullagh ar-rived in Riga. Prior to her arri-val, Mary and I shared many Skype video calls, and we were able to have our stu-dents meet via Skype. Mary took the time to write about me on the TEA ILEP Global Teachers E-Resources Portal: “[Inga’s] great at preparing the sched-ule for my upcoming ex-change to Riga, Latvia! Be-cause of her wonderful plan-

pertaining to the U.S. educa-tional, cultural, political and economic systems. She also conducted several workshops for both History and English

teachers on the Civic Voices International Democracy Memory Bank Pro-ject www.civicvoices.org. In addition, we managed to ex-plore not only Riga, but also to tour Latvia together.

Following her profes-sional interest, Mary was ea-ger to visit some of the Holo-caust memorials in Riga, gain-

TEA Alumna Continues Exchange by Hosting Teacher from the U.S.

February / 2012 Page 3

The application deadline for the 2013 Teaching Excellence and Achievement program is April 2, 2012. For more information about the TEA program please visit http://riga.usembassy.gov/tea.html

U. S. Embassy Riga Announces Video Contest for High School Students: Win an Opportunity to Visit the U.S.!

We invite video submissions from students aged 16-18 on the topic “How to Improve my Community.” The video submission could be a plan on how to improve a certain aspect of your community, such as an environmental issue or a social issue, or it could be a video about an ongoing community project that you are involved in. Each participant may submit up to three vid-eos. There will be prizes for the top five video submissions. The finalists will compete for the grand prize, a chance to travel to the U.S. and participate in the 2012 Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Summer Institute! For more information please visit: http://riga.usembassy.gov/franklin2012.html

ing more insight into the complex history of Latvia. Mary was fasci-nated by the natural sights of Latvia and the culture of our na-tion. She shared her positive outlook with me and my col-leagues and students, and her blog is filled with appreciative insights about Riga, Latvia, our teachers and our culture: http://mccullaghinlat-via2011.blogspot.com. At the end of the school year my students and I were evaluating our success and set our goals for the next year. One of the seniors said, “Is it possible to invite a guest teacher again? Mary was great!” This is the best evaluation for our project. Mary and I are planning fu-ture Skype video calls between our classes, as well as arranging to share guest speakers and to conduct interviews of Civic Activ-ists in each other’s communi-ties. We also hope to have our students communicate about topics using an online forum in the upcoming year.

U.S. Embassy Riga,

Latvia

If you have stories to share, interesting ideas, sug-

gestions, comments or questions we would like to

hear from you.

Feel free to email us at,

AlumniLatvia@state.gov

State Alumni is your global community: a dynamic and interactive networking experience for all past and current participants of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs. Stay connected with your exchange experience and explore the various opportunities available to you from State Alumni. Find fellow alumni in your country and in all regions of the world. Share your ideas, learn from your fellow alumni and find out about alumni activities being implemented in communities the world over. Focus on your professional development by searching for job and grant opportunities, and post your résumé or academic articles. Prepare your research through State Alumni’s Online Resource Center, and access over 20,000 U.S. and international periodi-cals, newspapers, and more! Grow, stay connected, and expand upon your exchange experience. Join Now!

Samnera Velsa iela 1 Rīga LV-1510

Tel: +371 6710-7000 Fax: +371 6710-7050

My name is Mike Larrivee, and I’m a Fulbright fellow for the year 2011-2012. I was born and raised on the seacoast of New England north of Boston, and spent the last 10 years in Memphis, Tennes-see. While I was there, I completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography with a minor in Biology and a Master of Science degree in Earth Sciences with a concentration in Biogeography. I worked with my friend and mentor, Dr. Gregory N. Taff to develop The Giant Hogweed Project, a program in which we attempt to monitor Giant Hogweed (H. Mantegazzianum, or Latvanis in Latvian) in Latvia while engaging and including students and citizens in the scientific process. The program utilizes a public participatory form of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) in which high school students and concerned citizens act as research partners and use their local landscape knowledge to help my team collect field data on the locations of Giant Hogweed. The program is web-based, and participants can find all the information they need to get involved on our website

sites.google.com/site/gianthogweedproject . The program also includes an educational component that can be easily incorporated into the science curriculum of participating high schools. Students will receive training in Biogeogrpahy, GPS Technology, Ecology, GIS, and very importantly Plant Physiology with an emphasis on Giant Hogweed Safety (Giant Hogweed is a poisonous plant that can be very harmful if touched). Once students conclude their classroom training, they conduct fieldwork by using a handheld GPS to collect Giant Hogweed locations in their area. After fieldwork is completed, they upload their data to the project website where they can in-stantly view their work on the map. The whole process was beta-tested during August of 2010 at my host institution, Vidzemes Augstskola, and I’m happy to report that each component functioned perfectly! The project now includes 9 high schools from throughout Latvia, and the number is growing. I was lucky enough to spend the summer of 2010 conducting research in Latvia, mostly in Riga and in Valmiera. I began my fellowship this year on the first of August, and I feel that I gain new insight into the culture and character of Latvia and her citizens each day. The famous “cool-naturedness” of Latvians can sometimes be confusing, and make it difficult to communicate (emails and voice messages are not always re-turned promptly or at all) but once one is lucky enough to get to know them, the sturdy, down-to-earth character of the Latvians that I’ve had the pleasure of working with makes them thoughtful, dependable and considerate in a way I have come to truly appreciate and respect. I hope to learn much more in the coming months, and have new insights to share as my Fulbright experience in Latvia continues.

Meet Mike Larrivee - American Fulbright Grantee to Latvia