Office of American Spaces FY 2019

BUREAU OF EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE

FEATURING CONTRIBUTORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

19-22521 American Spaces Annual Report.indd 1 12/15/20 11:31 AM 19-22521 American Spaces AnnualReport.indd 2 2 Office ofAmerican Spaces FY 2019 Myles Marken, Program Analyst MylesMarken, Analyst Program Ridenour, Je Strategist Programming Programs Spaces:Happens inAmerican What ere? Glossary Spaces oftheOceAmerican Overview SpacesDirector Carol Brey American of Oce Caroline Casagrande Programs Academic ECA for Assistant Secretary Deputy Anne Johnson, Anne Engagement Regional Public Specialist, retired Former Consulate Corner American Trieste Upto Steps Take ontheFace ofthe Heather Ward, Engagement Regional Public Specialist Cairo’s For AReal Reality: Winner JobCreation Virtual Elizabeth Stromme, Engagement Regional Public Specialist Rwandan Businesswomen Turn intoConnection Barrier Sarah Ziebell, Engagement Regional Public Specialist Tracking Survivors Kolkata: Telling ata Time”“One Story Gives Voice to Engagement Specialist Tracci Gabel, andRegional Public Foreign Ocer Service Turkmenistan: Angles– ConsiderAll en ConsideremAgain Stacia Clifton, Engagement Regional Public Specialist Eritrea: Work-arounds Finding Works Rita Botts, Engagement Regional Public Specialist Space toEmbassy-BasedAmerican China: DespiteRisk, Flock Visitors Assistant Secretary Marie Royce, Marie Assistant Secretary andCultural Educational Bureauof A airs Welcome TABLE OFCONTENTS self-improvement opportunities. and recognizing disinformationare amongmany starting abusiness,usingbroadcast technology English, and developleadershipskills.Learning interaction thatcounteractnegativenarratives conversation, self-discovery, self-expression and American Spacesare safeplacesforexploration, John Fer, Engagement andRegional Public Foreign Ocer Specialist Service Lab:e Moscow MediaLiteracy Progressive MeetsPractical High-impact Programming inAmericanSpaces DMailvahanan, Sanjay Director, Lanka SpacesSri American Youth Lanka’s Forums inSri AmplifyEmerging Spaces Voices American Pay UnexpectedDividends Case Studies:AmericanSpaces post, takingonparent/teacher roles andacceptingthemanyotherchallengesofpandemic. We are gratefultothosewhocontributedthisreport whileworkingtotemporarilyclosedownAmericanSpaces,departing facet oflife,COVID-19leftitsmarkdisruptiononthedevelopmentthispub lication. Because thepandemicoccurred outsidethetimeframecovered inthisreport, thediseaseisnotmentioned,but,aswithevery Coronavirus Disease2019earlierthisyear. The OfficeofAmericanSpaces recognizesthelife-changingchallengesworldhasendured in2020withtheoutbreak ofthe ......

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15 14 14 13 12 11 10 7 6 5 4 3 3 9 8 Tributes /Credits CynthiaNichols, Engagement Regional Public Specialist Michele Kimpel-Guzman, Policy Ocer Spaces Want American toKnow How Areey Doing Project: Pilot theEvaluation Resultsfor Survey Zammarelli, Chris Data Specialist Numbers Tell Stories Many Important Valorie Lee, Engagement Regional Public Specialist Fund: Support Spaces Reliable andConsistent American Spaces American or-Operated Centers:American U.S.e Only Government-Owned Lynne Scheib, Partnerships Coordinator Spaces:ECA andAmerican e Evolution ofaPartnership Sheila Weir, Engagement Regional Public Specialist Engagement intheMidstofChaos Centersin Binational Venezuela: ofCommunity Models MagiaKrause, Engagement Regional Public Specialist BecomeChangemakers in eir Communities Training: to Sta” Spaces American Empowering Nuts andBolts Mark Burrell, Engagement Regional Public Specialist CentersHandle Binational Tough Finesse Issues With Binational Centers:ASpecialReport e American Spaces 2019-2021 Strategic Plan 2019-2021Strategic Spaces e American Where We’re Going LindaParker, Engagement Regional Public Specialist APerson in is RoleCanMakeaDi”erence ofHumor, andaLittleSense ofFlexibility aLot With Oce of American SpacesDirector Carol Brey American of Oce ...... BACK COVER 17–18 24–27 19–23 24–27 12/15/20 11:31AM 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 WELCOME Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Functional Bureau Strategy 2018–2022: • Counter disinformation and radicalization • Advance American foreign policy objectives • Encourage strong civil society institutions • Increase America’s global competitiveness • Achieve greater efficiency in ECA operations

Assistant Secretary Marie Royce Deputy Assistant Secretary for ECA Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Academic Programs Caroline Casagrande I am proud to welcome the Oce of American Since we formally welcomed the Oce of Spaces team to ECA, including the Regional Public American Spaces into the academic neighborhood Engagement Specialists, the Foreign Service corps in May 2019, we have begun to realize many located around the world that provides expert avenues for innovation to strengthen and enhance guidance to American Spaces and the embassies the collaboration between American Spaces and and consulates that manage them on a day-to-day some of our most in-demand programs, such as basis. Since May 2019, we have been delighted to English learning and U.S. college advising through see American Spaces build stronger partnerships our EducationUSA program. and tighter integration with ECA programs. American Spaces often provide a community’s ‰rst American Spaces have long been delivering four encounter with the United States and their integra- major ECA programs to international audiences — English language learning, tion with ECA provides our program oces with countless compatible resources promotion of study in the United States, providing programming venues for for developing or expanding creative programs that ‰t within the policy objectives alumni of exchange programs and promoting of the U.S. government, ECA and the embassies that manage American Spaces. As we look to 2020 and American culture and values. †rough training and guidance from the Washington We are taking advantage of the natural anities that exist with American Spaces. beyond, I challenge For example, 150 EducationUSA advising centers (approximately one-third of everyone in ECA and the oce and the Regional Public Engagement Specialists, this diverse network has evolved the network) are located in American Spaces, and English language clubs can be field to think beyond some found in many more. of the boundaries that into delivering policy-driven, high-impact have defined the work of programs, strengthening our national security Last fall, the EducationUSA oce in the American Center in Korea hosted a American Spaces in recent position in hard-to-reach locations around session at the Busan American Corner featuring a representative from Kapi‘olani the world. years. We have new tools, Community College in Hawaii. Community colleges are shining stars of our higher education system, o¢ering incredible bene‰ts to international students, and new expertise and more I am particularly proud that American Spaces are an increasingly important pathway for international students to study in the than 600 places around provide a range of programs that empower en- trepreneurs. One approach is through building United States. †e so-called 2+2 option — to begin study at a community college the world where we can before completing a bachelor’s degree at a four-year college or university — is an make new things happen. high-technology skills among local residents, such as virtual technology training in Cairo. a¢ordable, ¤exible path to earning a U.S. degree that we have been promoting Think about humanities around the world. and American values Other programs focus speci‰cally on devel- programs and ways we oping entrepreneurship skills among women. Learning English opens doors to study in the United States and creates an endless During my travels, I have personally witnessed can further diversify both range of opportunities for integrating other ECA programs. For those who are many of these great programs in American unable to visit or study in the United States, American Spaces can bring a virtual the subject areas and the Spaces in Yangon, Hanoi, New Delhi, Santo experience that is also very rewarding, including online college courses and more. audiences who connect Domingo, Cairo, Monrovia and Jakarta. with American Spaces †e prospect of learning English is often a primary attraction of American Spaces every day. How can we I found the Nexus Startup Hub, a green-tech- to local residents, and American Spaces take advantage of that desire to incorpo- find new ways to demon- nology business incubator in New Delhi, par- rate current policy topics into the English learning process, enabling participants strate our values — free- ticularly impressive. †is innovative partnership to speak about topics that they ordinarily might not feel comfortable discussing. with the University of Texas at Austin’s IC2 dom of speech, rule of law, Like Assistant Secretary Royce, I’ve had many rewarding visits to American Institute is tangibly executing our goals to pro- entrepreneurship? How do Spaces during my travels, and I am excited to see many new types of virtual mote entrepreneurship as a means of improving programs being developed for American Spaces. With advanced technology, there American films, literature, the climate for U.S. business interests in India are many possibilities for connecting American Spaces with the U.S. and across historic and geographic and furthering regional economic borders, where we can address common challenges, build networks of partners and sites, visual images and cooperation. †e incubator selects annual deepen relationships. citizens represent our cohorts of 15–20 local companies, of which 33 country’s values and serve percent are women-owned. U.S. and Indian A particularly exciting event on the horizon is a new online sta¢ training program as an inspiration to people experts provide 10 weeks of intensive training. that the Oce of American Spaces will o¢er to sta¢ of American Spaces, around the world from all including U.S. embassy and private-sector sta¢ who manage American Spaces, as In addition, I am pleased that one of our key sectors to pursue progress well as Washington-based sta¢. I want to thank the dynamic American Spaces economic programs, the Academy for Women team for getting this training o¢ the ground within just months of my asking them in their own lives and Entrepreneurs, recently has been introduced in to create the new virtual course. †e potential exists for incorporating aspects of their societies? several additional American Spaces in Africa other ECA programs, such as study in the U.S. and English language programs, as well as Latin America. AWE equips women We welcome your ideas. into the American Spaces virtual training. to create and grow their businesses, raise capital and network with successful business owners. We welcome ideas from American Spaces and their stakeholders around the world AWE is part of the White House’s Women’s Global Development and for working even more closely with ECA programs and how they would like to see Prosperity Initiative. the American Spaces programs develop in the future. I am both honored and grati‰ed to contribute to the FY 2019 Oce of American Spaces report. We welcome reader feedback on the report and what would make it most useful for you in future. 3

19-22521 American Spaces Annual Report.indd 3 12/15/20 11:31 AM 19-22521 American Spaces AnnualReport.indd 4 4 Office ofAmerican Spaces FY 2019 W 66 million visits around the world each year,66 million visitsaround theworld providing visitors withatruly ECA aswell, toECA Spaces adding 630American thatreceive atleast We much bureau. athome in ournew very feel We we believe have enriched Spaces. American to provide anaccurate, impact of credible thepolicy process evaluating for ProjectEvaluation Pilot takeplace thatwill inFY2020(seepages 24–27) results, withthehelpofECA’s Evaluation Division, we an developed generated anoutstanding77percent response rate.survey Basedon those 2019. stakeholders inFebruary senttoall ‰eldsurvey Spaces American †is Upon completing ourplan, the‰rst implementation an stepwastodevelop andU.S. inmeetingbothcountry-speci‰c Spaces objectives. policy theimpact ofAmerican evaluate issues we identi‰ed washow toaccurately Based on thisandother goals plan, inourstrategic one ofthemostimportant auniquerole plays initscommunity. Space American is uniqueandevery Innovation isacommon Spaces, themeamong American country sinceevery approachevidence-based tofunding, standards, innovation andsettingpolicy.” FY2019–2021is for “American U.S. support Spaces through foreign an policy to ourvalues. For example, Plan Strategic Spaces the‰rstgoal intheAmerican From there, ourplanbegantotakeshape, initiatives tied directly incorporating among thestrengths we wantedtocapture inourplan. Spaces. Innovation, collaboration, learning, were andpartnerships diversity listofvalueswe re¤ect believed thestrength ashort developing ofAmerican October 2018, we planningprocess beganourFY2019–2021strategic by majorinitiative. Spaces,American every for theframework form which In element: isakey ofthisreport At theheart thevaluesofOce of throughout theyear. ‰nds thisyear’s andusefulresource tobeareader-friendly publication Bureau Strategy. We community Spaces intheAmerican hopethateveryone of high-impact inlinewithECA’s programs directly thatfall Functional inthe‰eldor and othercolleagues Washington. Itprovides many examples employed withECA sta¢whointeractdirectly Ocersandlocally Generalist Spaces:American Engagement Regional Specialists, Public Foreign Service broader scale, totheembassies, closest contributors including consulates and holders andfundingsources. †is year’s features report contributionson a thearticles,generated all were which more stake- aimedatexternal directly was‰rstpublished in2015, thisreport When sta¢in Washington, D.C., usetobuildon ourrelationships can colleagues worldwide. processes ECA andprograms thatournew andproviding aboutour information Strategy are implementingECA’s Functional Bureau Spaces home by on thatAmerican focusing ways in May 2019. ournew celebrates †is report Office ofAmericanSpacesDirector Carol Brey States insupportofU.S.foreign policy. interaction amonglocalcommunitiesandtheUnited and gatheringplacesaround theworldthatpromote American Spacesare inviting,open-accesslearning Mission Statement American Spaces Educational and Cultural A¢airs A¢airs andCultural Educational oce joinedtheBureau of report, the‰rstsince FY2019 Spaces American elcome totheOceof

American Spaces connect the world withtheUnitedStates. connecttheworld Spaces American additional topromote Spaces: innovative ways ourvisionAmerican for As we move forward, Iammore con‰dent thatwe ‰nd thanever will role future inbureau planning andprogramming. anddepartment toplay anintegral Spaces recognizing thepotentialofOceAmerican ECA andfor tothepolicy-driven bring assortment Spaces that American theircon‰dence displaying intheresources,for ideas, peopleandprograms Royce, andtherest Casagrande oftheECA leaders AssistantSecretary Deputy We ofECA, are delightedtobepart andwe are toAssistant Secretary grateful of you your for e¢orts. employed sta¢. ocersandlocally Foreign Service Mydeepestthankstoeach sta¢,and Vienna-based andU.S. sta¢(partners Spaces American employees), strong, Engagement ourRegionalSpecialists, Public including Washington- of theinitiative Spaces thateachperson hasshown inkeepingourAmerican relocationphysical ofour Washington oce—andIamproud sta¢toanew afurlough,— including bureau ofourocetoanew andthe thetransfer 2018 hasbeenaprofound privilege. We 2019 in faced anumberofchallenges asOceDirector Spaces sincemid-November ofAmerican theworld Serving 13 years assignedtoIslamabad. andiscurrently REPS (yes, singularandplural!), from Linda Parker, thisrole whohas‰lled for ‰rst-person account Engagement ofaRegional Specialist, Public alsoknown as implementing theminthe‰eld. You toread a have alsowill theopportunity accomplishments in2019(and2018)as seenthrough theeyes ofthosewho are †roughout thisreport, you ‰ndmany will examplesofnotableinitiatives and itsmembersandstrengthen for itsrelationshipsupport withtheUnitedStates. nonpro‰t withitsown organization board ofdirectors toprovide additional about 20years ago. In2019, ABLA took thestepofbecoming aformal the AssociationAmerica, ofBinational Centersof Latin founded they which tostrengthen through theiralliances late thesevitalinstitutionstheire¢orts for bassies orconsulates toaccomplish goals. strategic We are proud tocongratu- ofECA withtheirU.S. avariety programs whileworkingsupport closely em- (the‰rstwasestablishedinBuenosAires Spaces in1928)thatcontinue to community roots.historic Many binational centersare long-termAmerican binational centers, areAmerica, mostofwhich inLatin where have they deep For the‰rsttime, highlightstheuniquevalueofournetwork thisreport of dancers andotherswhorepresent U.S. values. programs andtheECA U.S. programs featuring Speakers authors, musicians, highlighting U.S. MusicAbroad American culture andvalues—including ment, violentextremism, countering andofcourse strengthening civilsociety andmedialiteracy,as disinformation entrepreneurship, women’s empower- programming andresources, Spaces inAmerican Strategy on topicssuch hasembracedECA’s Spaces †e OceofAmerican Functional Bureau Spaces.) American ofseveral forcing theclosure years many covers for reasons, thisreport countries con¤icts inlocal including experience.American thetwo totalnumberofspaces ¤uctuatedduring (†e with theUnitedStates. American Spacesconnecttheworld Vision Statement Vision American Spaces

12/15/20 11:31AM

THE OFFICE OF AMERICAN SPACES: SUPPORTING A COMPLEX SYSTEM

merican Spaces are, and have always been, places where people meet as American Centers, about 30 of which are large ¤agship American Centers, people, talk to people and listen to people. †ey are places to learn including those in Kyiv, Jakarta and Yangon. Historically separate from the and share ideas, express thoughts and participate in programs that embassy, American Centers typically o¢er a wide range of resources. In some build economic and critical thinking skills. †e term “American cases, the United States has owned the facilities for decades, according them Spaces” is a relatively recent description of this diverse universe respected positions in bilateral relationships. Others are former Information A of venues located in universities, shopping malls, libraries, nongov- Resource Centers — smaller libraries moved into embassies and consulates in ernmental organizations, other public places, inside U.S. embassies, on embassy the 1990s (see page 21). compounds or in their own dedicated buildings. While the number ¤uctuates for many reasons, generally more than 620 American Spaces can be found in †e embassies or consulates oversee the day-to-day operation of American 143 countries. Spaces in their countries, while the Oce of American Spaces provides global strategic guidance, support, funding, training and programming. †e Regional †e Oce of American Spaces, part of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau Public Engagement Specialists provide direct support to their assigned of Educational and Cultural A¢airs, has 18 sta¢ members in Washington, four American Spaces, the embassies and other ‰eld-based representatives — in Vienna, Austria, and 30 Regional Public Engagement Specialists dispersed regional English language ocers, alumni coordinators and the sta¢ of among strategic locations around the world. Together, they support a complex educational advising centers — all of whom support a number of ECA web of other Washington-based bureaus and oces, other country-based programs in American Spaces. U.S. oces and the 172 embassies that contribute to the operation and success of the various types of American Spaces in promoting U.S. foreign policy To ensure that American Spaces operate consistently around the globe and objectives in their local communities. provide strategic programming aligned with both country-speci‰c and broader U.S. foreign policy goals, the Oce of American Spaces provides extensive American Spaces fall into three predominant categories, with signi‰cant training, as well as pre-packaged programs, to both U.S. and non-U.S. variation within each. Most American Spaces are the result of an embassy- government employees who sta¢ or oversee American Spaces. driven movement in the early 2000s to set up agreements with local “host partners” (universities, libraries, nongovernmental organizations, etc.). †ese From 2013 through 2018, the Oce of American Spaces focused on improv- are American Corners, which make up about 70 percent of American Spaces. ing the physical appearance of American Spaces through grants for remodeling †ese “hosts” help defray the cost of the American Corner in exchange for the as well as to provide modern furniture, wall graphics of U.S. landmarks, high- relationship with the embassy. †e other partnership-type American Spaces are end technology, excellent internet service, a similar design, a color palette and binational centers, some of which date to the early 1900s (see articles on pages logos to promote an American Spaces brand. †is e¢ort, executed through an 17–18). agreement with the Smithsonian Institution, has shifted toward a focus on programming, but design catalogs, such as the “Idea Book 2.0” and †e U.S. government owns or operates nearly 100 American Spaces, known “Reimagining an American Space,” are still available.

Local host partners provide space, support and more for American Corners, furnishing local embassies with highly cost-effective, powerful public diplomacy venues to provide their target audiences with rich policy-based experiences. In some countries, American Corners are the only public outreach tools available to embassies and consulates.

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19-22521 American Spaces Annual Report.indd 5 12/15/20 11:31 AM 19-22521 American Spaces AnnualReport.indd 6 6 Office ofAmerican Spaces FY 2019 • • • • • • • • • termsusedinthispublication. e listbelow andother includessomeabbreviations GLOSSARY United States visitstothe intensive for short-term provides opportunities program distinguishedcurrent for andemergingforeign leaders that Program; Leadership IVLP –International Visitor ECA exchange government’s year ‰scal isfrom 30 October1toSeptember year,FY –Abbreviation‰scal for cycle; theU.S. a12-month budgetary and exchange ideasinmore andtheUnitedStates than160countries world; provides tostudy, recipients opportunities teach, conduct research gram, administered withforeign governments around inpartnership the Fulbright – †e U.S. government’s exchange ¤agshipeducational pro- provides anextensive andcourses range ofothertraining ocers andotherU.S. government employees assignedoverseas; also provides inover 60languagesForeign intensive for instruction Service National Foreign A¢airs Training Center); that facility thedepartment Institute(alsoknownFSI –Foreign astheGeorge P. Service Shultz abouttheUnitedStates information or-deliveredalumni-focused programs, U.S. advising educational and ally, are they Englishlearning, activities, cultural orstrategic policy-based widely, vary o¢er; anddelivery Spaces althoughformat American gener- Five Core andongoing programs all Programs –Original (orPillars) Spaces American books, andaward-winning dissertations ‰lmsandvideosavailableat newspapers,from withquality theUnitedStates magazines, journals, resources information eLibraryUSA –Adigitalcollectionoftrusted Spaces American U.S.; aboutone-third advising ofEducationUSA centersare basedin tostudyinthe apply can that explainshow studentsinothercountries EducationUSA –ECA’s advising educational program post-secondary below theambassador, abbreviatedDCM Deputy ChiefofMission–Person second incharge ofanembassy sponsored exchange programs inU.S.Alumni –Individualswhohave participated government- at American Corner CapeTown,at AmericanCorner SouthAfrica. Bauchi, Nigeria(topright);andastudentpresentation Mali (left);introductory robotics atAmericanCorner Bamako, English conversationclubatAmericanCorner examples oftheimpactAmericanSpacesinAfrica: Based onlocalembassygoals,theseare butafew • • • • • • • • permanent or permanent “home” location TDY – Temporary anassignmentaway from tourofduty; anemployee’s to embassies, Spaces consulates andAmerican and usedassingularplural; 32REPS roughly provide direct services Regional PublicEngagementSpecialist–AbbreviatedasREPS website. Department onfound theState Western Hemisphere. withineachregion be †e speci‰ccountries can Paci‰c; Europe andEurasia; Near East; Asia; and Central South and residesforeign insixgeographic policy bureaus: Africa; EastAsiaand Regional orGeographicBureaus conducting for –Responsibility embassyorconsulate for Post –Anterm internal goalstoward foreign policy achieving employing communications progress andprograms andevaluating foreign audiencestobuildtargeted publicengagement strategies PD –Anabbreviation publicdiplomacy, internal for analyzes which ranged from 620to640 es andotherfactors; covered theperiod inthisreport, during thenumber Spaces, American Spac- underperforming American the openingofnew year factors, basedon several con¤ict, asin-country such of theclosing ¤uctuatesfromNumber ofAmericanSpaces– year to †is typically Spaces Centers oranetwork ofAmerican Spaces, toAmerican managinglarger American and services including expertise, contract withtheembassytoprovide speci‰cprograms often NGO –Nongovernmental organization; NGOs, and insize vary which andotherbene‰ts ascerti‰cates such have incentives provided toensure various studentscomplete thecourses, ofsubject areas,ety lead todegrees; somecan ofwhich Spaces American MOOCs –Massive OpenOnlineCourses; free online coursesinavari-

12/15/20 11:32AM Lutfullo Tagoev is one of many who find direction through programs in American Spaces. His experiences as a Fulbright student and his U.S. education will enable him to improve the lives of others when he returns to Tajikistan.

PROGRAMS IN AMERICAN SPACES: WHAT HAPPENS THERE? By Jeff Ridenour, Programming Strategist, and Myles Marken, Program Analyst

utfullo Tagoev grew up in a small conser- vative town in the mountains of Tajikistan To bridge this gap, in FY 2018, the Oce of Maintaining their during its ‰ve-year civil war after the American Spaces created a position dedicated to historic role as fall of the Soviet Union. He moved to developing “packaged” programming on the most resources for informa- the capital city of Dushanbe for his topical or current events (see “Packaged Programs” tion about the United JEFF RIDENOUR L university education and started visiting below). †ese packages, developed in the Wash- States, American the American Space, where he became ¤uent in ington-based Oce of American Spaces, assist Spaces provide access English, attended programs about the United in providing new ideas or ways for embassies or to collections of printed books, magazines and States, joined a debate club and learned to code American Spaces to deliver long-term programs on newspapers. In addition, a wealth of online and build computers at the makerspace. In 2019, topical or current subject matter. resources, including ‰lms and videos, professional Lutfullo was selected as a Fulbright Student, and journals and additional newspapers, are available through this ECA program, he currently is getting †ese policy-focused programs complement through eLibraryUSA, a collection of proprietary his master’s degree in education technology in the or integrate with the types of programs that all databases available only in American Spaces. United States. American Spaces are expected to deliver in ‰ve core areas: English language teaching and learning, PACKAGED PROGRAMS †is is what the American Spaces do: †ey connect strategically policy-focused cultural programs, ed- the world with the United States. †eir success ucational advising, engaging U.S. exchange alumni ematic Programming Toolkits – †ese kits are comes in part from being “embassy-driven.” †e and providing information about the United States. designed to help embassies and consulates create

embassy or consulate manages its own network programs on speci‰c themes. †ey share best A crucial element to connecting with the United of American Spaces within a country or region, practices, topical overviews and links to curated States is language. Young people, professionals, ensuring that the American Spaces, located in more articles, videos, lesson plans, online games and journalists, parents and local residents from all than 140 countries, are able to tailor programs to courses. Examples include media literacy and walks of life come to American Spaces to learn their audiences. countering disinformation, global health and U.S. and practice their English language skills. †is is 2020 elections. Many American Spaces share the American value one of the most popular programs. ECA also sends of innovation through makerspaces out‰tted with American musicians, dancers and artists who reach Discussion Guides – To provoke thoughtful an assortment of advanced U.S. digital equipment audiences with key policy themes through classes discussions, the Oce of American Spaces has to promote foreign policy goals of entrepreneurship and training. created over 50 discussion guides on American and economic stability. †ese makerspaces also movies, videos and ECA’s 22.33 podcasts. serve to attract new and large audiences through American Spaces provide educational advising to access to high-end technology. visitors either through an onsite EducationUSA Activity Guides and Debate Kits – †ese guides advising center or through resources that explain and debate kits provide handouts and lesson plans In some cases, however, creating programs on topics the methods and advantages of pursuing higher to run engaging sessions on key topics. that are dicult to approach in certain countries, or education in the United States. American Spaces ‰nding the best programming resources, takes time, are perfect locations for connecting alumni of U.S. and sometimes resources, that embassies may not government-sponsored exchange programs with be able to provide to their network of American visitors. Alumni are encouraged to share their Spaces. experiences in the United States and lead programs on topics of their interest or expertise. 7

19-22521 American Spaces Annual Report.indd 7 12/15/20 11:32 AM 19-22521 American Spaces AnnualReport.indd 8 8 Office ofAmerican Spaces FY 2019 I trading insightsviaZoom. mark the International Day ofDemocracy, with Youth Forum participants Lanka’s appeared across simultaneously Sri MOOC all to Spaces American ing aMassive on OpenOnlineCoursefocused thethemeofdemocracy. †e members tore¤ect aboutcivicengagement onlearned by whatthey complet- Province.to theCentral Kandy for Youth Hisvisitprovided aplatform Forum Lanka’s Sri ‰rst stopsduring 2019presidential elections-related outreach visit Kelly’s ChiefofMission Martin wasamong Deputy Kandy Corner American program for innovation andmulti-dimensionalplatforms engagement. †e Youth Lanka’s Forums Sri have helpedtransform into Spaces American Corners,American Spaces. introducingaudiencestoAmerican new facilitate EnglishAccess sitevisitsfor Microscholarship studentstothe mobileoutreach initiative. ofanEnglishonlaunch Wheels regularly †ey withtheembassy’sactively Englishlanguage programs, thesuccessful including asleaders andmentors.valuable experience Forum memberscollaborate goals. toadvanceCorners policy program facilitators, Asdeputy gain they Forum volunteers create programs andconductwithintheirAmerican local networks across withlike-mindedyouth andcommunitypartners thecountry. management experience, exchanges ininter-islandcultural andbuild participate their tenure, Youth Forum volunteers receive leadership training, gainproject teers are askedtocommit atleastsixmonths and60hoursofservice. During religious backgrounds. youth Lankan have toengage withpeersfrommany Sri di¢erent ethnicand program graduates.Spaces †e Youth Forum provides the‰rstopportunity volunteer resources ongoing for initiatives engagementAmerican ando¢er for messagingandengagement, strategic for aslivinglaboratories serve provide By SanjayDMailvahanan,Director, AmericanSpacesSriLanka YOUTH FORUMSINSRILANKA’S AMERICANSPACES AMPLIFYEMERGINGVOICES SRI LANKA Case Studies:AmericanSpacesPayUnexpectedDividends strong civilandsocialinstitutions. and direction thatcounterdisinformationandradicalizationbuild American Spacesinotherpartsoftheworld,giveyoung peoplevoices The SriLankaAmericanSpaceYouth Forums,andsimilargroups in amplifying the voices and leadership of Sri Lankan youth. Lankan thevoices andleadershipamplifying ofSri †e forums enabling U.S. objectives through EmbassyColombo toadvancepolicy key Ja¢na, across —are andMatara buildingtrust diverse Kandy communities, together, the Youth — Spaces Forums American ineachofthecountry’s Lanka,n Sri agroup ofyoung peoplehave accepted abigjob. Byworking community service. Forum volun- Youth Forum model, along with Lanka’sthe cornerstoneofSri professional development form engagement e¢orts. Personal and theembassy’s for anchors youth membership, became theforums for structure †anks toaformal among young devoted patrons. leadership in 2013tonurture began establishingtheforums Lanka inSri Spaces American

Forums people-to-peopleengagements by bolsterandinform listeningand component isakey of Youth service Public Forum activities. Lanka’s Sri Youth partners), communityactivism andfact-based communication. of diverse teams, (how collaboration toidentifyandwork withlike-minded their personal andprofessional development through understandingthevalue programming andservice,son andvirtual Youth Forum memberscontinue Lanka’scommunities inSri Province. Northern Byway ofsubsequentin-per- tation toconduct skills outreachwithpeersfrom andmentoring underserved Forum membersdeployed knowledge, theirnewfound awareness andpresen- asfuturecontribute leaders. discussions relationshipwide-ranging aboutthebilateral andhowcan they literacy, andcivicengagement. peermentoring engaged in †e participants together inmedia ‰rstinColombofacilitated training came for skill-building program for Youthservice Forum volunteers inlate2019. Forum members U.S. EmbassyColombo hostedamulti-day, leadership multi-city andpublic Connecting emergingleaders from Youth Forums across theisland, presentations thousands. thatdraw and Diversity Visa than 7,000visitors. fairs inisland-wideEducationUSA alsoparticipate †ey CenterColombo’sAmerican October2019MakerFair thatattractedmore spokespeople. Corner ican For instance, Youth Forum the memberssupported assistance isvaluable, asistheirpresence asAmer- where events assist withlarge-scale theirlogistical embassy events, National Day, including andoften represent at Corners theirAmerican proudly visitingU.S.for government delegations. †ey Forum asjuniorambassadors volunteers serve toward a Sri Lanka that protects the rights of all itscitizens. thatprotects ofall Lanka therights toward aSri initiatives, acourse helpingtheirpeersandcommunities chart Forum membersare bothleaders andmultipliers these for promote inclusion, reconciliation andsocialcohesion. Youth Forum to membersgrow asmentorsandtrainers further helpbroadenwill thereach oftheseinitiatives andhelp Youth nongovernmental organizations, withlocal partnership which U.S. EmbassyColomboconduct will follow-on programs in of thinkingskills Youththe critical Forum members. nities. In FY 2019, the embassy set up pilot programs to expand government programs andagencies andtheirdiverse commu- giving voice toemergingleaders, connecting themacross U.S.

12/15/20 11:32AM

ITALY AMERICAN CORNER TRIESTE STEPS UP TO TAKE ON THE FACE OF THE FORMER CONSULATE By Anne Johnson, Regional Public Engagement Specialist, retired he city of Trieste, on the Adriatic coast in northeastern Italy, has Other Trieste American Corner programs involve always been at the crossroads of cultures. Part of the Habsburg empire STEM activities, a girls leadership development for over 500 years, it was host to one of the oldest U.S. consulates program, cultural events such as American ‰lm in Europe, established in 1797. It became an Italian territory after showings and †anksgiving and July 4th cele- World War I and a disputed area after World War II; it remained brations. †e American Corner hosts nearly 400 T under United Nations control with some 5,000 U.S. troops until programs a year and sees some 35,000 visitors. †e 1954. With the 2006 closing of the U.S. consulate in Trieste, in 2007, the U.S. embassy in Rome and consulate in Milan enhance programming options with Embassy in Rome opened an American Corner, which quickly became the new alumni speakers, ocer presentations and VIP visits. All of the programs in the face of America in the region. American Spaces are free of charge.

†e nonpro‰t Italian-American Association (Associazione Italo Americana del Friuli Venezia Giulia or AIA FVG) operates the Trieste American Corner and provides day-to-day leadership. †e American director and coordinator work with a board of directors of Trieste residents, one of whom is a former consulate employee. In the foyer hangs a plaque listing all the former consulate generals, further proof of the long American presence in the area.

Located 10 miles from the Slovenian border and 20 miles from Croatia, Trieste is still a hub for international transit, boasting the largest commercial port in Italy, and it is a key European maritime node. Refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq enter Italy through Trieste and frequently stop for processing in the area.

In 2018, the Trieste American Corner developed an innovative “Integration †rough Entrepreneurship” program that o¢ers sewing classes to refugees. Feeling at home in the American Corner has been helpful to many Afghans, who were familiar with American Corners known as Lincoln Learning Centers in their home country.

Capitalizing on refugee skills in tailoring, the American Corner created the Refugee Bear project, which includes both sewing and marketing of Trieste’s international connections stretched beyond its borders through a vol- hand-crafted products. With the help of ECA Fulbright alumna Lydia Witt, unteer American couple who taught English classes at the American Corner in over 200 colorful bears have been made and promoted at local craft fairs. Witt Trieste, an American Corner in Chile, and most recently at Dar America, the has volunteered her time to work with the tailor-entrepreneurs on product American Space in Casablanca. design and marketing. Separate from the American Space, AIA FVG o¢ers a full course schedule of English language classes for children and adults, for which it charges a fee. AIA FVG sta¢ founded and host a local TESOL group and is active at the national level in English education.

†e city’s long history as a crossroads continues, and the American Corner Trieste is at the center of it, with a warm and welcoming American presence and an international pro‰le beyond its corner of the Adriatic Sea.

In line with innovative approaches to entrepreneurism as a primary American Spaces objective around the world, the Trieste Refugee Bear project combined the American Corner’s exceptional role in the community with its recognition of the skills and the needs of a diverse immigrant population to provide them with a unique source of income.

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19-22521 American Spaces Annual Report.indd 9 12/15/20 11:32 AM 19-22521 American Spaces AnnualReport.indd 10 10 Office ofAmerican Spaces FY 2019 As intheMoscowlab,programs inAmericanSpacescontinuallyevolvesophistication. need toprovide media literacyskills,especiallyassocialmediabecameadominantsource ofinformationamongyoungpeople. True totheir foundationasadversariesofcensorshipandfalseinformation,AmericanSpacesaround theworldrecognized the A information. Many andglobalissues, labstailor theircontent to local giving host workshops thatenablevisitorstobecome more consumers discerning of around theworld, setupmedialabs. Spaces many American †ese classrooms were nodi¢erent.Recent e¢orts Inresponse toadire medialiteracy needfor budding designers, inventors andbuilders. printers, lasercuttersand on-site andmentor professionals toconduct classes thevalueofmakerspaces, learned quickly Spaces American featured 3D which universities.with technical †en, adopters ofthe asearly “maker” movement, vated tocreate Corners,”“Science promoted which STEM inpartnership later,A decade covered Corners theglobe, American whensta¢againinno- e¢ectiveness inH.R. 1646, theirreplication encouraging worldwide. proved†e corners awinningconcept tobesuch thatCongress noted their access tointernet, resources print andpractice English. tolearn andthechance broader swathofthepopulation about theUnitedStates, withinformation to create anetwork of22 “corners” inmajorcitiesacross Russia, providing a In 2003, thepublica¢airssta¢inMoscow ventured beyond city thecapital Spaces. atAmerican e¢orts public diplomacy progress innovation, anddrive settingthestage toshowcase thebestofour By JohnFer, Foreign ServiceOfficerandRegionalPublicEngagementSpecialist THE MOSCOWMEDIALITERACYLAB:PROGRESSIVEMEETSPRACTICAL MOSCOW High-impact Programming inAmericanSpaces Regional Public Engagement Specialist corps existstostimulate corps EngagementRegional Specialist Public activities abouttheU.S.) andinformation remain consistent, the language teaching, advising, educational cultural policy-focused theprogramming While “pillars” (alumni engagement, English inpublicdiplomacy. are ingenuity Spaces incubatorsfor merican which, asoftheendFY2019, had hostedmore than5,000visitorssinceits and an “expert inresidence” sta¢themedialab, CenterinMoscow,At theAmerican adirector andvideosthatadd totheconversation.podcasts andproduce journalists products as citizen such allow themtofact-check, connect withother andresources that visitors access totechnology fact-based, manner. constructive interconnectedin anincreasingly world, continue toconverse peoplecan ina that toensuring contribute valuesandsigni‰cantly thebestinAmerican case skills,By teaching21stcentury asmedialiteracy, such show- Spaces American mation) have changedtheway peoplereceive andconsume information. steady streams- ofdisinfor equally (thatincludes cycle and the24-hournews culture. †at isnolonger thecase. Increased globalconnectivity, socialmedia gameintownforeign more for audiencestolearn only aboutU.S. and policy totoday’s —were centers—theforerunners Spaces information the American were they theCold establishedduring War,When and libraries American areas, di¢erences. despitepolitical work can together inmany andAmericans and highlightthefact thatRussians of dicultrelationships between governments, shore uppeople-to-people ties Features free for speech, astheseadvance such oursupport inlight particularly Global Achievement. anexchange program young for and run journalists, MediaExchange for called inception in2018. sta¢membersprovide classes, Lab designcoursematerials

12/15/20 11:32AM CHINA CHINA: DESPITE RISK, VISITORS FLOCK TO EMBASSY-BASED AMERICAN SPACE By Rita Botts, Regional Public Engagement Specialist

visit to the Beijing American Center isn’t made easily. • When Beijingers traveled to the U.S. Embassy for a panel presentation honoring Whether traveling by bus, subway or electric scooter, visitors to the the 71st anniversary of the Universal Beijing American Center traverse a city of more than 1,600 square Declaration of Human Rights in 2019, miles and 20 million inhabitants. Some travel for more than an police prevented some from entering the A hour, sometimes from outside the city or even from other provinces. center. †ose who were able to attend As guests approach the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, they are required to navigate participated in a lively dialogue with U.S. a slew of stanchions and present national identi‰cation cards to local police and EU diplomats, who spoke not only about their human rights who decide whether they can enter the embassy. If they are allowed to proceed, successes in their own countries, but also about areas for improvement. they continue to a second gate where national police ‰lm and photograph them. Past this gate, they are ‰nally on embassy grounds, where embassy guards welcome them, and they enter the American Center. Why are visitors willing to negotiate all these steps? Inside the center, they ‰nd a unique community: • †ey engage in lively debates with Americans and diplomats from a wide variety of backgrounds, discussing topics ranging from the 2020 U.S. pres- idential election to LGBT rights. Guests often engage in discussions that are considered sensitive in China, including conversations about democ- racy and religious freedom. It is almost impossible for Chinese citizens to engage in these kinds of conversations in any other venue throughout China. • †ey receive transparent public health information that’s rarely available in the rest of the country. Guests have told sta¢ that they turn to the Beijing American Center for health-related information they can trust.

• †ey hear ‰rsthand about the ‰ve steps to study in the United States. By providing a unique forum for honest re¤ection on sensitive topics, the • †ey converse with native English speakers on a range of topics. Beijing American Center connects audiences with a range of perspectives absent from China’s public sphere. †is open discourse exempli‰es U.S. • No tickets or fees are required, and visitors enjoy uncensored democratic values by underscoring our country’s commitment to free internet access. speech, while supporting a key pillar of American Spaces: access to accurate information about the U.S.

Many U.S. government-owned American Centers are important in authoritarian environments where the embassy can conduct public outreach only in U.S.-controlled facilities. Programs in the Beijing American Center have involved sensitive topics that would be difficult or impossible to hold at an outside venue due to Chinese interference and censorship, including China’s work- place safety, the country’s “996” (9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week) expectation and a documentary on China’s abandoned girls.

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19-22521 American Spaces Annual Report.indd 11 12/15/20 11:32 AM 19-22521 American Spaces AnnualReport.indd 12 12 Office ofAmerican Spaces FY 2019 T CONNECT. DISCOVER.ACHIEVE. By StaciaClifton,RegionalPublicEngagementSpecialist ERITREA: FINDINGWORK-AROUNDSWORKS ERITREA High-impact Programming inAmericanSpaces to the change they wanttoseeintheircommunitiesto thechangethey andtheircountry. their talents, realize needtofully they improve their livelihoods andcontribute thinkingskills youngtunities for theleadership peopletodevelop andcritical environmentoppor- †e current andeducational political few inEritrea o¢ers andexitvisas,passports andU.S. restrictions on issuingvisas. impossibletoimplementduedicultiesEritreans face obtaining nearly couldpartner,in Asmara are notallowed inEritrea. Exchange programs are programming. Nongovernmental organizations, theU.S. withwhich Embassy provide broader accesstouncensored media. to visitingthecenter. Theseperiodicalsbuildskillsand other publiclocationswhere Eritreans mayfacedeterrence could distributemagazinesbearingitslogotolibrariesand literacy skills.InEritrea, the AmericanCenterfoundthatit uous Englishclasses,whichhappentoincorporatemedia robotics classes,which buildtechnologyskills,orinnoc- of nationalauthoritiesandappeartobe“fun,”suchas ming environments where programs are subjecttoapproval Creativity andingenuity thriveinhighlyrestrictive program- requires advance noticefor, andmust approve all, publicdiplomacy to freedom ofexpression, beliefandassembly. ofEritrea †e State Eritrea among theleastfree whenitcomes nations intheworld intheworld.the mostchallenging Freedom ranks Houseconsistently environmenthe operating inEritreaisamong publicdiplomacy for protected humanrights. ing goal: anEritreawithstrengthened civilsociety, improved governance and toadvancing theembassy’s iscritical CenterAsmara overarch- †e American that Eritreahasnotradition ofvolunteerism. impressive programs given —especially who assistwiththeoperationsandrun continues togrow. Centersta¢are cultivatingacommitted group ofvolunteers Federal Student from withinterns Service,series the Virtual thecenter’s reach groups women for andyouth exchange program alumni, awebinar too¢ering students, school middle for language classes discussion monthly torunning ing aweekly Beginners” for “Internet SaturdayEnglish courseandlaunching increased thequantity, ofprogramming. anddiversity quality From introduc- results are striking. Mostimpressive, andmostimportant, isthatthecenter wasstrategic, CenterAsmara oftheAmerican overhaul †e physical andthe young Eritreans. Discover. Achieve. †e objective istoconvey future possibilitiesavailableto look,Along withthenew tagline—Connect. thecenterhasanew visitors, makingthecentermore engaging, more welcoming, more “American.” minimalcost,With improved thelookto andfeel theredesign dramatically language torobotics andcodingskills. beyond them, fromworld English ineverything whilebuildingtheircapacity hub ofactivity, connecting young Eritreanswithone anotherandwiththe what wasonce astatic, dark, quietstudyspace isnow avibrant, open, engaging daily. renovation Spaces–funded project,†anks toa2018OceofAmerican reliable connection internet inAsmara, crowds capacity itdraws andassuch to engage withyoung Eritreans. free, theonly †e centero¢ers accessible, theembassy for isanindispensableplatform CenterinAsmara †e American andfreedomviewpoints ofexpression. as volunteerism, tolerance, respect multiple for development, civilsociety values thatnurture such creased andtheAmerican exposure toAmericans their own futures, themthrough inspiring in- andhelpthembuild skills Eritreans withpractical Asmara, capital, thecountry’s are toequipyoung Meanwhile, Centerin thegoals of theAmerican

12/15/20 11:32AM TURKMENISTAN TURKMENISTAN: CONSIDER ALL ANGLES – THEN CONSIDER THEM AGAIN By Tracci Gabel, Foreign Service Officer and Regional Public Engagement Specialist

urkmenistan’s network of four American Spaces — an American face harassment and bureaucratic challenges. Center in the capital of Ashgabat and three American Corners in Nonetheless, American Spaces in Turkmenistan the regional centers of Mary, Turkmenabat and Dashoguz — face regularly demonstrate their ingenuity, focusing on universal and unique hurdles to delivering strategically relevant pro- these principles: gramming. †e embassy in Ashgabat helps overcome those obstacles Tby focusing on the fundamentals: investing in people, creating engaging and • TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE FIRST: Ameri- strategically substantive programs with the resources at hand and putting can Spaces in Turkmenistan have developed American Spaces at the heart of the embassy’s objectives. a robust year-round program of experiential exchanges, trainings, strategic planning summits and peer mentoring, creating a supportive network that In an environment where the internet is among the world’s slowest, with low provides not only a strategic compass but a helping hand and sympathetic internet penetration, a single state monopoly internet provider and heavy sounding board. censorship of websites and social media, American Spaces in Turkmenistan rely • BUILD BUY-IN THROUGHOUT THE EMBASSY: Leaders send a on ingenuity and elbow grease to augment traditional tools, such as MOOCs clear message that all sections and agencies play a role in supporting and virtual speaker programs. †ese obstacles underscore the vital role that American Spaces. Visitors, those on TDY assignments and family mem- Turkmenistan’s American Spaces play as information and resources hubs. †eir bers are encouraged to visit American Spaces around the country. Nearly e¢orts to ‰nd creative ways to deliver quality strategic outreach programming all visiting cultural and speaker programs include an American Spaces keep around 200,000 visitors walking through the doors each year. †ese are outreach component. Widespread engagement in American Spaces sends among the tactics: a clear message that the embassy cares about and values the American Spaces and will ‰ght for their continued success. • TAKE IT OFFLINE: Turkmenistan’s American Spaces adapt existing State Department resources to make them available even without a strong inter- • EMPOWER COMMUNITY MULTIPLIERS: Turkmenistan’s American net connection by packing ¤ash drives with English teaching resources and Spaces could not function without the tremendous contributions of U.S. stocking iPads with pre-downloaded podcasts and o³ine apps. government exchange alumni. In addition to giving thousands of volun- teer hours to run American Spaces programming, alumni act as bridges • BUILD AROUND “LIGHT” AND ACCESSIBLE SITES: Turkmeni- to groups that don’t feel comfortable visiting American Spaces in person, stan’s American Spaces maintain strategic focus with activities that use sharing resources and information. sites easy to access in Turkmenistan, without heavy content like streaming video. In 2019, a hack-a-thon to increase Turkmen language represen- • FIND WORK-AROUNDS THAT WORK: After numerous unsuccessful tation on Tatoeba, a crowdsourced translation website, added more than attempts to secure permission to run structured English courses or camps 6,200 sentences, promoting English language use and access to infor- in American Spaces during school breaks, the Turkmenistan American mation. Another favorite activity is an information “scavenger hunt” that Spaces created Englishpalooza, an alumni-led blitz of semi-structured relies on low-bandwidth sites to build information literacy skills. English-language games and activities. In 2019, Englishpalooza drew more than 13,300 American Spaces visits and became the single most • DO IT YOURSELF (LITERALLY): In 2019, Turkmenistan’s makerspace e¢ective tool to recruit regular visitors. introduced MediaMaker to give visitors basic skills in graphic design, desktop publishing, podcasting and video production. With these tools, visitors and American Spaces sta¢ create their own newsletters, visual materials and videos that can be shared and accessed online and o³ine. An American Spaces success story sums up • DON’T FORGET PRINT: Print books and magazines remain some of Turkmenistan’s approach to creating long-term the most popular resources in Turkmenistan American Spaces. Collec- tions are regularly updated based on user data and surveys, with special relationships: A high school student’s connection collections tailored to English teachers and learners, entrepreneurs and with American Spaces began when she stopped makerspace tinkerers. †e annual October “Read †is Book!” festival by to use the free internet. She stuck around, boosts circulation by 50 percent, with more than 2,300 print materials loaned in 2019. curious about friendly laughter she heard. She transitioned from casual observer to active Institutional challenges: Barriers to access and dicult conditions for sta members participant to volunteer and activity leader, strengthened her English and joined the Under- Some challenges faced in Turkmenistan do not lend themselves to simple graduate Cohort Advising college onboarding solutions. †e embassy and the American Councils operate and sta¢ Turkmen- istan’s American Spaces due to the lack of an agreement with the government program. While studying graphic design in the of Turkmenistan and barriers to partnering with local institutions. Local United States on a full scholarship, she referred authorities likewise restrict o¢-premises activities, enrollment-based educa- tional programs and even certain topics (human rights, civic engagement) and to American Corner staff and friends as “her formats (no “clubs,” “classes” or “debates”). Groups that stand to gain the most second family.” from American Spaces — English teachers, university students, and young professionals in government — are warned not to attend, and sta¢ members 13

19-22521 American Spaces Annual Report.indd 13 12/15/20 11:32 AM 19-22521 American Spaces AnnualReport.indd 14 14 Office ofAmerican Spaces FY 2019 A RWANDA S alumni from past storytelling programs whoworked withthegroup ofwomen alumni from paststorytelling ata †e Time”“One Story program brought together digitalstorytelling CenterKolkata. American on March 13–16,clave 2019, atthe Anti-Tracking inPersons Con- theeighthannual during strategies rehabilitation andpreventative inpolicymaking, theirinclusion for whileadvocating ofsurvivors ries †e program highlighted thesto- nities. intheirown commucampaigns - implement anti-humantracking asactiviststheir skills todesignand whilebuilding theirstories tell India, Nepal andBangladesh to enabled women from Asia’s South program,an ECA storytelling By SarahZiebell,RegionalPublicEngagementSpecialist TO TRAFFICKINGSURVIVORS KOLKATA: TELLING“ONESTORY AT ATIME”GIVESVOICE KOLKATA High-impact Programming inAmericanSpaces work andtheircontributionstothecommunity. rare on settingthatfocused themandtheirsuccesses, acknowledging theirhard andtheirlives. to talk aboutthemselves or thechance †is program provided a sphere. training for businesswomen have†ese small-scale littleopportunity who represented atmo- thatfostered levels amentoring arange ofexperience As aresult, tradeassociations these women, andcooperatives recruited local to share theirexperiences, andexpertise. challenges building businessopportunities, thewomen for achance theagenda included empowerment. aneye towardcross-border fostering relationshipsWith and Rwandan and20Congolese on —focusing entrepreneurial andwomen’s skills basedintheregion plannedaworkshopScholar 40women for traders—20 Noticing this, in2018, Coordinator Corner andaU.S. the American Fulbright these traders are women. advantage ofcross-border customers topurchase theirgoods. And many of A walkthrough theparking area reveals traderstaking vastnumbersofsmall By ElizabethStromme, RegionalPublicEngagementSpecialist RWANDAN BUSINESSWOMENTURNBARRIERINTOCONNECTION “One Story ata Time,”“One Story and resiliency. inIndia,of tracking hopethrough activism whilealsoo¢ering theharshrealities ‰lmscapturing created short persons survivors CenterKolkata,t American agroup ofwomen tracking-in- vehicle for tradeandcommerce, for vehicle ortogo toschool. tovisitfamily †e border isabustlingplace, by withpeople crossing and daily foot tion reach toplanprograms thatcan communities inbothcountries. inGisenye, Rubavu Corner American Rwanda, isinauniqueposi- distance from theborder RepublicofCongo, totheDemocratic the ometimes, makeadi¢erence. justaday can withinwalking Located and gender-based violence. skills tofighthumantrafficking build self-esteemandleadership to girlswhoare struggling to Royce (left)offered hersupport ECA AssistantSecretary Marie

have them. viewed judicial andlawenforcement ocers, and56,500studentson college campuses cents. across Intrainings thecountry, the‰lmshave reached more than3,500 approximately 200,000people, moreadoles - than110,000at-risk including tion, workshops andsocialmediathathave andextensive reached useofprint Youth- mobiliza leaders through have implementedthecampaign partnership results†e consulate hasseen signi‰cant from conclave. theanti-tracking audiences. capacity andadancepiece,digital stories conclave, alongside theanti-tracking to performance, awomen’s empowerment fair, ascreening oftheanti-tracking visitors. among non-expert ‰cking Centerhostedamusical †e American toolsalsohelpedtobuildempathyCultural - andunderstandingabouttraf andawareness fundraising campaigns. anti-humantracking best practicesfor toshare conclave Asianactivists attheanti-tracking withSouth partnered expert,tracking toKolkata, along witheightofherstudents. †e TCU group program sentDr. Vanessa Bouché, Texas professor and University Christian leading uptoJuly’s World Day Against Tracking inPersons. ECA’s speaker †e consulate released the‰lmsasacampaign conclave.the anti-tracking the ‰lms, tothesuccessof extensively contributing activist —tocreate with anotheranti-tracking Amy working Hill expert — digitalstorytelling mentors andtwo American survivors tracking better future. toa it asabridge day, toview learn each otherevery traders, whosee these women competing helped thanseeingtheborderRather asadivider, instead spendingtheday of sharing nections withtheir “sister” traders enhancedtheireconomic opportunities. their families. Enablingthemtomakethesecon - for the border theirlivelihoods for andsupport audiences. †ese women on rely thetrade across bothCongolese andRwandan planned toinclude but thiswasone ofthe‰rstprograms explicitly from across theborder topractice theirEnglish, welcomes students often Corner †e American than competetoincrease salesforeveryone. howto cooperaterather day canmakeinlearning a thedifference their handiworkinGisenyelearned Participants inaworkshopforwomenwhosell 12/15/20 11:32AM EGYPT CAIRO’S VIRTUAL REALITY: A REAL WINNER FOR JOB CREATION By Heather Ward, Regional Public Engagement Specialist

n 2016, the American Center Cairo o¢ered a training program called In- participants with concepts they can apply to any troduction to Virtual Reality. By 2019, the Virtual and Augmented Reality interface. †e program takes 80 hours to complete, Diploma had become one of American Center Cairo’s ¤agship programs, a including eight lectures, eight labs and two weeks unique opportunity for young Egyptians to develop professional skills that for the ‰nal project. Participants develop projects they would have access to nowhere else. †e American Center o¢ers this from idea to design to implementation and Ieight-week course several times a year in partnership with a local company present it to others in their group. Among ‰elds owned by Egyptian-American entrepreneurs. in which graduates have completed projects are education, entertainment, ecommerce, health care, tourism and gaming. Competitive job skills are especially important given that more than 60 percent of the population is under 25 and the youth unemployment rate is over 30 Other embassies and American Spaces have demonstrated strong interest in percent. Since the center’s virtual reality/augmented reality diploma was ‰rst incorporating virtual reality technology into public diplomacy programs awarded, 100 participants have successfully completed the course. †e fact that that further policy goals, such as supporting economic development and graduates have traveled from 14 di¢erent Egyptian governorates to participate empowerment through providing skills-building opportunities, including in demonstrates the uniqueness of the program. Brazil, which also has a high unemployment rate. In recent years, the Oce of American Spaces has been seeing an increase in American Spaces Support Participants have represented a wide demographic range, almost one-third of Fund requests for virtual reality equipment for public diplomacy programs in them young women. †ey have applied their skills to develop college grad- American Spaces. uation projects, to work for partner companies and to do freelance work for clients in Egypt and abroad. Of the graduates, 35 have become full-time virtual Based on the proven capacity of this program to raise the economic status of reality/augmented reality developers and ‰ve have launched their own startups. participants, American Center Cairo is developing an advanced diploma pro- gram to enable graduates to develop highly specialized skills to increase their †e course is a complete introduction to the world of virtual reality and marketability. augmented reality programming. It assumes no prior experience and equips

Since the technology became widely available in recent years, the possibilities for virtual and augmented reality applications are literally endless, as is the resourcefulness of those in American Spaces in finding new ways to assist people in putting their ideas to work for themselves instead of going in less productive directions. On a visit to Cairo, ECA Assistant Secretary Marie Royce (right) took the opportunity to view some of the projects.

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19-22521 American Spaces Annual Report.indd 15 12/15/20 11:32 AM 19-22521 American Spaces AnnualReport.indd 16 16 Office ofAmerican Spaces FY 2019 E As aREPS, you change people’s will lives. ideasthatinspireexperience themtowork intheirown positive communities. for transformation discuss diculttopics, may have enablingpeopleaccessthey never dreamed toaneducation of, andto happen. We don’t shapeeconomic policy. We tapintothegrassroots ofasociety, creating spaces safe to A REPS won’t conduct ademarche; meetings are we political rarely thenotetakerswhenhigh-level the market parking lot, gun‰re lateatnight, Dayofthemmatter. on—butall Christmas mortars countries’ futures. adventures Some are good; atthewindow, some not somuch —monkeys in gira¢es roads shapetheir andmeetsthepeoplewholive whowill there thevisionaries face toface —including country. †ere againaREPS hasaheady experience. From thebeginning, aREPS travels theunknown acombination for Most peoplejointheForeign ofadventure, Service totheir andservice altruism ones metobebetterthanIthoughtcouldbe. whochallenged that themostdicultplaces were orpeopleare they theonesbecause the Imissthemost—maybe great theirreplacement beandrealizing will how muchmissthisgroup. Iwill out itturns Sometimes Space,Each American each time, isdi¢erent. Astheassignmentends, how everyone Ibegintelling thechill. whilesippingteaisworth crimson beyond myhome post.where Iserved Watching MountEverest thesnow asthedawnsunturns to postwouldTDY invite metodinner. Ontheplusside, I’ve intheregions seenmany ofthecountries sometimeslikeasoloadventure, feel †e traveling can anditcouldmeanalotwhensomeone ata locations. aswe travel withinourassignedregions Space zone totheAmerican fort behindtogo abroad.members leave extendedfamily REPS dothat, butthenwe com leave- thisnew asaREPS oftheForeignLife istypical Service, more buteven concentrated. Foreign All Service need. sta¢have they thetraining Space embassy andAmerican ing aprogram, nongovernmental contacts thatthelocal oreducation meetingwithlocal andensuring By LindaParker, RegionalPublicEngagementSpecialist A PERSONINTHISROLECANMAKEDIFFERENCE WITH ALOTOFFLEXIBILITYANDLITTLESENSEHUMOR, A PersonalPerspectiveinAmericanSpaces “Watching MountEverest as the dawn sun turns as thedawnsunturns the snow to crimson the snowtocrimson while sipping tea is while sippingteais worth thechill.” virtually tothehome post, conductvirtually issuesfor - andinfrastructure dealing with technology planning. Ona (workingTDY inadi¢erent location), theREPS may bereaching out and interactingvirtually. †e day may involve meetings, procurement decisions andbudget home embassyorconsulate, training, developing planningoutreach anddevelopment trips since whathappenseachday dependson where we are. A‰eldREPS beinhisorher can day”xplaining a “typical Engagement asaRegional Specialist, Public orREPS, isdicult,

be done next. groundwork andalready whatneedsto have for afeel essential —by thetimeIarrive, Ihave completed the into days. outreach†at iswhy before virtual avisitis but makingapostvisitrequires thoseyears distilling year sliceoftime. For aREPS, thisisnodi¢erent, running” andmakeanimpact inthattwo- orthree- three years, isexpectedto theground soeveryone “hit assignmentlaststwo to aForeignUsually Service to reopen theirdangerous secret library. one ofthem.Thebrothers didnothave worldwide thatyear, andMyanmargot new AmericanSpaceswere funded to read inthatcountry. outtwo Itturned that weneededtosupportthefreedom for MyanmaranywaybecauseIbelieved Spaces thatyear, butIlobbiedforone moratorium onopeningAmerican library. Ithappenedthatwehada Australia before reopening theillicit sent theiryoungestbrother awayto medical care. Whentheyreturned, malnutrition andlackofaccessto harassed andtheirparents dieddueto they were inthecamp,theirfamilywas containing unauthorizedbooks.While opening alibraryintheirlivingroom “re-education camp.”Theircrimewas had justreturned froma fiveyearsin formerly Burma,Imettwobrothers who engagement specialistforMyanmar, When Iwastheregional public 13 years this positionfor specialist, hasheld engagement regional public PARKER LINDA

12/15/20 11:32AM Binational Centers: A Special Report ABLA BINATIONAL CENTERS HANDLE TOUGH ISSUES WITH FINESSE By Mark Burrell, Regional Public Engagement Specialist

hether in Uruguay conducting online courses, in Venezuela ABLA: THE NEXT STEP AS FORMAL providing a safe haven for independent thought and discourse, AMERICAN SPACES in Mexico launching makerspace challenges for public school students, or in Peru providing bilingual support for American †e development of the Association of Binational emergency repatriations, binational centers repeatedly demon- Centers of Latin America in the early 2000s W strate their value as American Spaces. enabled the binational centers that had joined the network of American Spaces to become a stronger Binational centers are independent cultural institutions founded indigenously presence in Latin America, and ABLA has continued to fortify that presence. to foster strong relationships with the United States, serving as major hubs for English language learning and cross-cultural dialogue. About 100 binational In 2018, ABLA’s conference in Buenos Aires celebrated the 90th centers are American Spaces, mostly in Latin America, where they have strong anniversary of the ICANA, while the binational centers demonstrated their historic roots. renewed dedication to the strategic impact and foreign policy value of the partnership between the United States and the network of binational centers “The longstanding partnerships between binational centers in Latin America. and U.S. embassies and consulates has improved relations Programs at the 2018 conference focused on management of binational centers, between their host countries and the U.S. throughout the strategies for English language learning, educational advising and methods for Western Hemisphere,” said Carol Brey, director of the Office increased community engagement — all of which were aimed at taking the of American Spaces. “Binational centers promote strategic centers to the next level as well-placed, reliable partners that can reach and programs in high-demand, successful topics such as English in¤uence key audiences. language learning, U.S. culture, entrepreneurship and science “ABLA energetically and technology.” advocates for the modernization of English teaching Binational centers promote better understanding of the United States through and professional their relevant and timely awareness of current issues as well as their expertise development for its in U.S. culture, values and institutions. †e Oce of American Spaces consults members, ensuring with the regional bureau of the State Department that represents the Latin its goals remain American region of the Western Hemisphere and with the embassies and aligned with those of consulates that manage binational center networks to ensure these institutions Periodic ABLA conferences bring Latin the State Depart- remain viable and e¢ective. Washington oce representatives participate in American binational centers together for ment,” said Elenita monthly virtual meetings with binational centers. networking and sharing ideas, programs Tapawan, a Regional and best practices. Public Engagement BINATIONAL CENTERS: 1920s TO TODAY Specialist in Latin America. “Binational centers value their special relationship with the local To understand how the relationship with binational centers came about, it’s embassy and the Department of State. Visits from non-State Department helpful to understand their history. Given that the State Department did not employees of the embassy contribute to strengthening these relationships.” have responsibility for cultural and academic exchanges in the 1920s and 1930s, Latin American elites who had ties through education or family in the U.S., For example, strategic deployment of ‰rst- and second-tour Foreign Service of- along with U.S. residents and American nongovernmental organizations, estab- ‰cers, or mid-level and senior ocers who are country team members as part of lished these centers for the promotion of scholarly and cultural exchange. an embassy speakers bureau, can bring policy-focused discussions to binational center audiences, deepening the embassy’s links with a range of audiences. †e †e Instituto Cultural Argentino Norteamericano, known as ICANA, is the Regional Public Engagement Specialists from the Oce of American Spaces oldest binational cultural institute. Founded in Buenos Aires in May 1928, are positioned throughout Latin America to provide essential support for ICANA served as a model for those that followed. Although the centers binational centers as American Spaces, ensuring that these networks function varied in size, their designs were similar. Each renovated or built an attractively smoothly. Regional Public Engagement Specialists, along with experts from furnished building located in the central business section of the city with class- other ECA programs, expand the use of digital engagement tools at binational rooms, a large auditorium, a well-stocked library/reading room, oces, a lounge centers, enhancing the embassy’s ability to bring policy-focused programming and a tearoom. All had outside patios and gardens for cultural events. English to a broader audience. language teaching provided sustaining ‰nancial resources. Binational centers enrich country relationships with the United States in highly During the years surrounding World War II, the State Department started to creative and critically important ways. During the 2018 civil unrest in Venezu- recognize the value of these U.S.-focused centers and began to channel funding ela, U.S. Embassy Caracas invited a speaker from Washington to interact via to them through the American Council of Learned Societies and the Ameri- videoconference with journalists, university students and civil society leaders can Library Association. †ese U.S.-centric organizations provided venues for involved in grassroots community organizing to share ideas based on the U.S. demonstrations supporting the United States. democratic process.

17

19-22521 American Spaces Annual Report.indd 17 12/15/20 11:32 AM 19-22521 American Spaces AnnualReport.indd 18 18 Office ofAmerican Spaces FY 2019 A essential to its public diplomacy strategy.essential toitspublicdiplomacy as hasregarded theseinstitutions serve which for andthepeoplethey support source ofstability, aswell asmaintainingtheirrelationships withtheembassy, community leaders whounderstandandcare about continuing theirroles asa America, andCentral centers inSouth underaboard operate ofdirectors — †e Centro Venezolano Americanos, 100binational likemostofthenearly media users. universities andthegovernment threatenedmedia andsocial independentnews ofthegovernment, discussionsclassroom critical access to blocked Venezuela’s dialogueasMaduristas,tive for locations whorejected government supporters unrest, communities, university alike, studentsandfaculty were- seekingalterna all. for from andgovernance toeconomic prosperity the democracy During issuesranging public debateaboutpolicy convene dynamic public can for freely represent places Spaces safe where one the American ofthefew Venezuelan that have meaningtotheword shown meanew ‘resilience,’” Garcia said. amhonored“I and proud towork withthisteamofindefatigablecolleagues development projects. ic dialogue, Englishlanguage instruction, advising educational andcommunity Caracas. were All planningtocontinue- functioningplacesdemocrat assafe for cia, coordinator andEducationUSA attheU.S. Spaces theAmerican Embassy 2019,In January were Spaces open, theAmerican all according Gar- toMarta morecaused thantwo million Venezuelans since2014. toleave theircountry that economic deterioration, supplies, andmedical offood along withshortages In August 2018, theUnitedNations ofamigration warned “crisis,” estimating of valuetohim. young personpresents aposterandotherworkaboutanissue the binationalcenternetworkinVenezuela (belowright),anda Visitors aboutthevalueandbenefitstoyoungpeopleof learn By SheilaWeir, RegionalPublicEngagementSpecialist MODELS OFCOMMUNITYENGAGEMENTINTHEMIDSTCHAOS BINATIONAL CENTERSINVENEZUELA: VENEZUELA Binational Centers:ASpecialReport institutions, unpredictable ofrapid change. periods essentialduring —continuedCorners theiroperations asstrong, establishedcultural known asCentro Venezolano Americanos, andthree American Venezuela’s ‰ve binational centers, —including Spaces American s economic, inFY2018, conditions socialandpolitical deteriorated networkwiththesegoals: Venezuelan AmericanSpacesintoadynamic,highlyfunctional TheFY2018–2019objectivehasbeentoconsolidatethe news andinformation.news access wholack toaccurate,non-elite residents throughout thecountry credible have online beena¢ecting accessmany smartphones for young cost ofquality andtheprohibitive haveindications shownconnectivity thatpoorinternet Travel interaction as have more andinterpersonal beenever important community leaders. young for entrepreneurial enterprises andstartup organizations civil society andrequestsarms more. for Traveling for andmentoring training alumnio¢er eled toconduct programming, hostswelcomed andrural-area themwithopen network, Spaces American U.S. including exchange program alumni, have- trav exists,In areas Space where American nophysical membersof Venezuela’s andviolentdemonstrations.open despitehyperin¤ation Englishclasses,demand for have helped Venezuela’s remain Spaces American Spaces” institutions, withlocal incollaboration combined withcontinued high conference inBuenosAires, innovative programs as such “pop-up American As Venezuela’s directors Spaces recounted atanABLA American (seepage 17) publicengagement. for platforms astheembassy’s primary venues toserve Venezuela’s remain Spaces dynamic, American high-functioning modern substantial sta¢timeandfundstoensure all goals.advance policy focused Itinvested enhance theoperationofbinational centersto programming ofintegrated tore‰ne and strategy anaggressive developed †e embassyinCaracas • • •

programming Develop anassertivestrategyofintegratedengagement in Venezuela Expand audienceoutreach andengagewiththealumninetwork Increase regional integratedstrategiccontentprogramming

12/15/20 11:32AM

Nuts and Bolts

TRAINING: EMPOWERING AMERICAN SPACES STAFF TO BECOME CHANGEMAKERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES By Magia Krause, Regional Public Engagement Specialist

ince the Oce of American Spaces launched a centralized global updates from Regional Public Engagement training program for American Spaces in 2015, nearly 2,300 indi- Specialists. “Next Steps” surveys are sent to PY351 viduals have participated, creating a ripple e¢ect that elevates the participants a few months after the training to impact of these public diplomacy hubs worldwide. With a focus on measure how participants implemented what they strategic planning, innovative digital engagement and 21st century learned. Participants are asked to provide concrete Smethods, American Spaces training continually evolves to meet the results, ranging from sharing the course materials needs of a diverse community working to advance U.S. foreign policy goals. with colleagues to completing their project goals. Amerika Haus, the Vienna, Austria, Satellite Oce and training facility, is a American Spaces training provides a solid foundation for understanding U.S. U.S. government-owned building that is easily accessible to U.S. government national security and integrated country strategies. For partners, this is often and non-U.S. government participants. No costs beyond salaries are incurred to their ‰rst exposure to these goals, which are reinforced throughout the training host training, and the Vienna Satellite Oce has partnerships with neighbor- in relation to strategic planning and program development. Training helps to ing hotels to keep lodging costs 40 percent below per diem. Since 2015, the motivate, inspire and energize American Spaces managers, particularly partners Oce of American Spaces has invested approximately $100,000 to upgrade that do not receive compensation for their work from the U.S. government. the training facility to meet tech-forward requirements. †e facility o¢ers three rooms well-equipped with high-speed ‰ber optic internet and Wi-Fi, 30 Chromebooks, 16 internal computers, projectors and makerspace equipment (3D printers, virtual reality kits). It resembles a model American Space and inspires trainees to implement modern designs that often are the ‰rst impressions of America for their visitors. †e Vienna oce also coordinates with FSI to o¢er use of the facility for other public diplomacy courses, including ECA’s alumni or International Visitor Leadership Program courses. FY 2018 In 2018, the Vienna facility held eight FSI-accredited American Spaces courses (introductory and advanced). Brasilia hosted one introductory course to address the needs of binational centers. Almaty, Pretoria, Kyiv and Mexico City Ameri- can Spaces held 15 regional workshops. Disinformation Training: In Kyiv, American Spaces managers from more than 20 countries in Europe gained critical thinking and media analysis skills through IREX’s Learn to Discern curriculum as a way to build skills to evalu- The table in the shape of a map of the United States is an example ate disinformation in their countries. of furniture that is available to American Spaces to provide a visual FY 2019 U.S. connection. In FY 2019, the Oce of American Spaces delivered eight FSI-accredited courses — six PY351 (introductory) courses and one PY352 (advanced) course at the Vienna facility and one PY352 course in Kathmandu. In addition, the Regional Public Engagement Specialists have noted several speci‰c outcomes Vienna oce supported ‰ve regional workshops in Africa, East Asia, Europe from the training, including and South Central Asia for 286 participants. • Implementation of a Youth Leadership Program at American House in Online Training: Following her visit to the Vienna facility in 2019, DAS Kyiv to recruit and train university students to assist with communication Caroline Casagrande suggested that the range of available technology would and programming for young audiences allow many more American Spaces sta¢ to be trained, using online resources, while tailoring training to speci‰c needs. As a result, the Vienna oce and the • Marked improvement in programming at a binational center in Oce of American Spaces are developing online, blended learning courses for Sao Paulo since the director attended a PY351 course in September 2018; 2020, which will become prerequisites for in-person training. †e Regional she proposed a National Maker Day, which started with 16 American Public Engagement Specialists will facilitate the online courses, which will Spaces in 2018 and grew to 25 in 2019 o¢er opportunities for American Spaces managers to interact online, build • Implementation of a project to engage visually impaired students at a their professional networks and showcase their best practices. binational center in Brazil Curriculum Updates: Also for FY 2020, the Oce of American Spaces is • Use of Facebook Live to improve Future Leaders Exchange Program consulting with ECA’s Global Educational Programs Oce, Collaboratory recruitment at a Slovenia American Corner and the English Language Oce to incorporate more ECA elements into American Spaces training. Regional Public Engagement Specialists will form a Overall, training empowers sta¢ at U.S. government-operated and partner working group that will review existing agendas, learning objectives and course American Spaces to design innovative ways to connect with their audiences materials, with the goal of updating and improving the American Spaces and share U.S. values. Sta¢ who attend our training are using new tools to poll training curriculum. their audiences, gather valuable feedback and more e¢ectively market their programs. As an American Spaces sta¢ member from Burkina Faso noted, “I †e Vienna oce evaluates American Spaces training through structured really felt empowered and now have a di¢erent approach to my job.” online surveys, behavior assessment, group activities, input from trainers and 19

19-22521 American Spaces Annual Report.indd 19 12/15/20 11:32 AM 19-22521 American Spaces AnnualReport.indd 20 20 Office ofAmerican Spaces FY 2019 W By Lynne Scheib,PartnershipsCoordinator ECA ANDAMERICANSPACES: THEEVOLUTIONOFAPARTNERSHIP Nuts andBolts seed-fund competitions andconnections tosuccessfulbusinessowners, facilitation andadditional partnerships, through entrepreneurship fairs, online,As DreamBuilder isstrictly AWE extensive in-person incorporates ocersinChileandPeru. Foreign withenterprising partnership Service company, through a Department itsway DreamBuilder found totheState ofGlobalManagement andFreeport-McMoRan,School aU.S.-based mining website in2017. University’s State oftheArizona †e brainchild †underbird Oce ofGlobal Women’s on IssuestohosttheDreamBuilder gateway its agreement Spaces withtheSecretary’s toanOceofAmerican its history AWE usesthecoreofDreamBuilder, curriculum anonline coursethattraces networks, theirbusinesses. andscale andmentorshipneededtostart Entrepreneurs program toprovide women withtheresources, around theworld March 2019, ECA created, theAcademy fundedandlaunched for Women Women asEntrepreneurs. Succeeding ofthe Insupport W-GDP mission, in Oneof Pillar W-GDP is Women Prospering inthe Workforce. Pillar Two is to increase stability, everyone. for andprosperity security W-GDP economies intheirlocal seekstoempower participate women tofully approach toadvancing women’s economic empowerment around theworld. Development andProsperity Initiative, the‰rstwhole-of-government 2019,In February Houseestablishedthe Women’s the White Global to fundandgrow theirown ‰rms. • • • Spirit ofAmerica–Tajikistan, AmericanSpacesTajikistan • • Chevron –Kazakhstan,AmericanSpaceAlmaty • • • FreetownAfricell –SierraLeone,AmericanCorner these partnerships. with aneyetowards supporting workforce developmentandincreasing thecompetitiveness ofU.S.businessinterests. Belowisasnapshotof and shares findingswiththe RegionalPublicEngagementSpecialists.U.S.embassies/consulatesalsoindependentlyseekandlaunchpartnerships, With assistancefrom theSecretary’s OfficeofGlobalPartnerships,the ofAmericanSpacesconducts outreach withprivate-sectorpartners emerging adaptingandinnovating. leaders.Likeallgoodlaboratories,theOfficeofAmericanSpacesisconstantlylearning, American Spacesmanageslaboratoriesofcapacitybuilding,whetherbringingskillsandinspirationtowomenentrepreneurs orassistingother withthelatestprivate-sector technologyandotherassets.Withopen,public-engagementplatformsaroundof government theworld, theOffice Public-private partnerships,aproven impetustoinnovation,cometogetherthrough AmericanSpaces,combiningthe globalreach oftheU.S. AMERICAN SPACES ASINNOVATION INCUBATORS: PARTNERSHIPS AREINOURDNA

Countrywide, theNGOsupportedtechnology andartsfestivals,includingthetechnology-focusedGo Viral Festival For theAmericanSpaceinDushanbe, theorganization provided partialrenovation funding For theAmericanSpaceinKhujand, thisU.S.-basedNGOpaidrenovation feesandthree yearsofrent andsalarysupplements Works withtheembassythrough partnertoimplement programs anagreement withanongovernmental Made adonationtohelpestablishKazakhstan’s makerspaceinFebruary2019 anationwideinitiativeoncivicengagement,youthvotingandmanyU.S.artmusicprogramsNotable activitiesincludeskill-buildingforjournalists, Provides officespaceinavibrant area of Freetown thatattractsyoungpeopletoevents promoting peaceand prosperity business strategyincludesagoalto“connectandempowerlocalcommunities” Established in2013(andstillthriving)through anagreement betweenU.S.EmbassySierraLeoneandAfricell,atelecommunications companywhose kets, networks andmentorshipsthatwould allow them success, gapsinaccess tothecredit, signi‰cant including mar- partners. Women confront still to legalandotherbarriers trading andbecome capable self-suciency achieve countries omen’s economic empowerment tohelping isintegral

between ECA Spaces. andtheOceofAmerican isyetthe nextlevel relationship anotherexampleofthelong-time symbiotic program element. Spaces American †at ECA istakingDreamBuilderto Accelerating women’s economic development haslong beenamajor andFreeport. State ofunderstandingwithArizona memoranda Royce Marie signed Assistant Secretary theAWEformalize program partnership, ECA America, AWE takesitaround theworld. To inLatin primarily DreamBuilder thrived While theirbusinessideasandplansintoreality.to turn need participants providing thehands-on support goal istogrow mymarketshare,” shesaid. communities —anotherboosttothelocaleconomy. “Mynext products usenaturalingredients sourced from Peru’s indigenous line from onetosixandregistered abrandname,Warayo. Her ers andcustomerssetpricing.Sheincreased herproduct legal andsanitarypermits.DreamBuilder helpedherfindsuppli- ness plancompetition,andsheusedthemoneytoobtainPeru completing theDreamBuilder course,shewon$1,000inabusi- her naturalproducts businessin2016withverylittlecapital.After Peru, isoneofmanyDreamBuilder successstories.Ibarrastarted Yolanda Ibarra,whoisfrom theAmazoniancityofMadre deDios, BUILDING ADREAM

12/15/20 11:32AM AMERICAN CENTERS: THE ONLY U.S. GOVERNMENT-OWNED OR -OPERATED AMERICAN SPACES

hile partnerships are the backbone of most American Spaces, potentially, the most in¤uential are the roughly 30 large U.S. government-owned or -operated ¤agship American Centers. In some cases, the United WStates has owned the facilities for decades, according them respected positions in bilateral relationships. Several are in areas where local organizations are reluctant to partner with the U.S. government.

†ese large ¤agship American Centers typically have more resources and a stronger presence in locations surrounded by disinformation, so they may be the only places visitors can ‰nd accurate information about the United States and build trust in the American people. †ese centers also o¢er advanced technology for simultaneous virtual programs, makerspace activities and more. Another advantage of the larger U.S. government centers is that high-level representatives of U.S. government and military organizations often can be found using them, providing local audiences the rare chance to engage with these U.S. diplomats and ocials from many areas of government.

In case you were wondering: A number of partnership-based American Spaces around the world prefer to use the term American Center rather than American Corner. However, only U.S. government-owned or -operated American Spaces are actual American Centers.

THE NEWEST AMERICAN CENTERS

In November 2017, the Oce of American Spaces determined that another group of U.S.-owned American Spaces, known as Information Resource Centers, should be included among American Centers. While IRCs had once been freestanding “libraries,” in the 1990s, they moved into embassies, closed to the public and provided web-based services.

†e Oce of American Spaces modernization project allowed many to reopen as American Centers. †rough grants from the Oce of American Spaces, embassies and other sources, American high school students learning Korean and Korean students in the roughly 64 former IRCs reopened to the public and trans- English Access program gather at the American Center in Korea to share their formed themselves into technology hubs that broadcast virtual culture and aspirations in the language they are learning. Large American programs to the country’s network of American Spaces, often Centers often host major exchange programs that would be too expensive training local residents how to use the technology. for smaller American Spaces. For example, the embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia, obtained high-end technology and turned its former IRC into a modern American Center it calls the iSpace, which is the hub of the country’s American Spaces network and conducts virtual programming. Local residents are involved in learning how to use the broadcasting equipment.

21

19-22521 American Spaces Annual Report.indd 21 12/15/20 11:32 AM 19-22521 American Spaces AnnualReport.indd 22 22 Office ofAmerican Spaces FY 2019 U By Valorie Lee,RegionalPublicEngagement Specialist AMERICAN SPACES SUPPORT FUND:RELIABLEANDCONSISTENT Nuts andBolts proposal process, andreview beginningin typically through †e fundisawarded acoordinated annually platforms. publicdiplomacy asprimary Spaces of American aimedatimprovingstrategies thee¢ectiveness Fund Support hasassistedinimplementing True purpose, toitsoriginal Spaces theAmerican and theprovision ofcontent.” otherstoemulate for Spaces model [American] Spaces,upgrades toexistingAmerican creating totheimprovementdevoted oftechnology, physical oftheincrease thatthemajority be ifying “would Spaces, oftheirAmerican and sustainability spec - helping embassies/consulates improve theimpact andpromised emphasis Spaces on anew American †is approach provided anincrease infundingfor publicopinion.” galvanize build partnerships, broad mobilize coalitions, and complex, multi-dimensional publicengagement to progress requireson our top priorities foreign policy 2018 NOR NEAR EAST& HE WEST ASIA CE SO UT NTRA MISPHE TH AFR H & ER platforms,” recognizing that “making as Spaces publicdiplomacy “primary approach” tomanagingAmerican implementing “a strategic new wascharged with Spaces American pon itsfounding, theOceof N L $12,189,310 RE IC Approv Number ofSpaces: To $2,119,763 A $1,1 tal $1,953,776 ed 1 1,508 $7,622,175 Approv Pr iori $3,384,860 ty ed $2,266,714

$1,352,689

$4,567,134

Approved Modern 643 networks. Spaces entire American oftheir theperformance that would maximize andtorequest items Spaces fundsfor American theresources andprogramstheir for to prioritize manage, thatthey Spaces oftheAmerican cover all sies andconsulates submit one uni‰edproposal to ‰rst time a network approach requiring that embas- In FY2018, proposals for adopted the for thecall Spaces. whohostAmerican ofpartners support nors, direct congressional fundingandthe in-kind sources, Department other State do- third-party alsoreceive Spaces fundingthrough American ing expensesandsta¢salaries. have received build- additional fundingtosupport In addition, Spaces American located strategically standards. adhere Spaces as they totheAmerican timedia equipment aslong anddesign/furnishing programming,funding tosupport technology, mul- for are Spaces eligibletoapply American All ists andECA requests. leaders toevaluate bureaus,- Engagement theRegional Special Public withthesixregional collaborates Spaces American distributed.the fundingistypically †e Oceof proposals summer, andendingthefollowing when funding for announcingacall withacable the fall AFRIC AMERICAN SPACES FUNDING EUR EU RO PA ASIA & EAST A ASIA CIFIC PE & CHARTS 2019 NOR NEAR EAST& HE WEST ASIA CE SO UT NTRA MISPHE *Reflects achangeincountingbinationalcenters thathaveseveralbranches TH AFR H & ER N L RE $12,880,945 IC Number ofSpaces: Approved A To $2,091,015 $ 1,270,221 tal $2,050,072 memoranda with partner-based American Spaces. American withpartner-based memoranda FY 2018statisticsandhavingcurrent agreement requirements were thesubmission ofcomplete Spaces. American low-performing closing Other across theirentire networks, and whileidentifying resourcescontinues prioritizing andprogram needs and high-costtechnology for justi‰cation a clear networks, Spaces coordinated American identi‰es programming, viavirtual Spaces maintainswell- goals, policy local expandsthereach ofAmerican consulates on tofocus programming thatadvances encouraged embassiesand Spaces American For FY2019funding requests, theOceof advisers. educational local English language ocers, alumnicoordinators and EngagementRegional Specialists, Public regional working withECA ‰eldrepresentatives including goals publicdiplomacy and —integrating achieve outcomes theprogramming isintendedto policy identifythe coordinated programming andclearly shared/in developing requests thatinvest consider favorably thatit would sized empha- Spaces ican †e OceofAmer- $5,450,628 Approv Pr $3,174,123 iori ty $2,539,904 ed $1,755,610 $7,430,317 Approv Modern 628 AFRIC ed EUR EU * RO PA ASIA & EAST A ASIA CIFIC PE &

12/15/20 11:32AM

NUMBERS TELL MANY IMPORTANT STORIES By Chris Zammarelli, Data Specialist

he number of visits to American Spaces fell globally by 1.94 million from FY 2018 to FY 2019. Approximately half this decrease was due to political unrest in Venezuela, where American Spaces reported a drop of over 820,000 visits from FY 2018 to FY 2019. FY 2019 also saw other challenges that reduced the number of visits, such as natural disasters, renovations that suspended T programming in some American Spaces, the closing of selected American Spaces, the opening of new American Spaces late in FY 2019 and similar factors. While the number of programs o¢ered fell by 23 percent from FY 2018 to FY 2019, only a 2 percent decrease occurred in the number of program attendees over the same period, suggesting that American Spaces successfully increased the impact of their programming e¢orts where they could not increase or maintain the number of programs. AMERICAN SPACES VISITS AND PROGRAMS 2018 2019 PROGRAM VISITS PROGRAM VISITS ATTENDEES ATTENDEES

42,284,615 41,254,683 67,214,471 65,270,013

PROGRAMS PROGRAMS 3,115,465 2,509,523

WORLDWIDE TOP PROGRAM REQUESTS AT AMERICAN SPACES

70

60

50

40

30

20 NUMBER OF OCCURRENCES 10

0 y y y e e y y y n n ty EM EM outh outh olic ome n omen curi ecurit ST ST lections Alumni hnolog Se c Journalists eign P Democrac Te r Makerspace Environment ducationUSA Fo outh Networks Human Rights Media Literac Digital Literac Anti-Corruptio Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship English Languag American Cultur Civic Engagement

W Y Y S E Countering Disinformatio

E Y W

23

19-22521 American Spaces Annual Report.indd 23 12/15/20 11:32 AM 19-22521 American Spaces AnnualReport.indd 24 24 Office ofAmerican Spaces FY 2019 I T to seehow the‰ndings from Spaces. helpmoldthefuture will thisevaluation ofAmerican Spaces. theirAmerican usetoevaluate guidethat embassies andconsulates andevaluation can e¢ectiveness ofprograms amonitoring anddevelop We are excited goals. inadvancing foreign Spaces policy thee¢ectiveness ofAmerican measuring †rough thisproject, bestpractices, we beabletodetermine will measure the Beginning inFY2020, Project, theEvaluation launch Pilot will Spaces theOceofAmerican provide amajorresearch thatwill aprocess for undertaking U.S. insupporting re¤ect planwill Spaces FY 2019–2021strategic thestrengths ofAmerican goals. policy andcountry-based below),(see article more we even believe thatthevalueswe strongly thanever outlined—innovation, collaboration, learning, —inour andpartnerships diversity In myintroduction, ourgoals Isaidthatourvaluesdrive andsetourdirection. conducted in2019 ‰eld survey Basedon theresults ofourpreliminary We thinkthattheanswer ofthesequestions toall isaresounding “yes” butwe wanttobeablebasethatanswer on tangibledata. andminds?Connect potentialentrepreneurs change hearts Spaces totheU.S.?Do American Inspire studentstostudyintheU.S.? Office ofAmericanSpacesDirector Carol Brey THE AMERICANSPACES 2019-2021STRATEGIC PLAN • • • • Cynthia Nichols,RegionalPublicEngagementSpecialist By MicheleKimpel-Guzman,PolicyOfficer, and AMERICAN SPACES WANT TOKNOW HOWTHEYAREDOING SURVEY RESULTS FORTHEEVALUATION PILOTPROJECT: Where We’re Going

know theirimpact on visitors. of programs held, andnumberofprogram attendees), are Spaces popularplaces we tovisit, know thatAmerican butwe don’t really have intheworld. Spaces impact thatAmerican already Spaces submit Basedon (numberofvisits, thedatathatAmerican number 2019–2021, planfor ourstrategic n writing the issuesthatwe identi‰edwastheneedtobetterevaluate one ofthemostimportant A¢ect therelationshipA¢ect between embassies/consulates andforeign ocials tocoreContribute programmatic areas toward, theUnitedStates andvisitorknowledge of, participant A¢ect aswell asattitudesandpractices andbroad U.S. country local toachieving Contribute goals foreign policy six regions. ineachof the Spaces consulates andAmerican number ofembassies/ the also reasonably paralleled levels.experience Responses of and spannedavariety each stakeholdergroup well input. Responses represented appreciation seekingtheir for many of themexpressed responded enthusiastically; stakeholders Spaces American American Spaces: American goals. explore, will †is evaluation among otherthings, how inadvancing foreign Spaces policy the e¢ectiveness ofAmerican Project toexamine he Evaluation Pilot provide will theopportunity

survey takers,precise trackingwasnotpossible. *Note thatthesepercentages are correct if allrespondents followed instructions.To provide maximumprivacyto STAKEHOLDER GROUP Total American CenterStaff Staff American Corner Binational CenterStaff LocallyEngagedStaff Public AffairsSection Public AffairsSectionOfficers EngagementSpecialists Regional Public

to establishabaselineguidetheupcoming activities. evaluation planimplementation.guide aspectsofthestrategic was purpose Asecondary extent possible, wastobuildgoodwillby one seekinginputthatwould purpose Spaces.needs ofAmerican To theneedsof‰eldtofullest prioritize many about30questions and aspectsoftheoperations covering included stakeholdersthat Spaces of1,000American conducted a‰eldsurvey Spaces American 2019, theOceof project, inFebruary To prepare this for NUMBER OFRESPONSES 766 353 100 116 98 74 25 MICHELE KIMPEL-GUZMAN PERCENT OFTOTAL 100% CYNTHIA NICHOLS 76% 90% 82% 96% 67% 43%

(approx.)* 12/15/20 11:32AM

SURVEY RESULTS FOR THE EVALUATION PILOT PROJECT: AMERICAN SPACES WANT TO KNOW HOW THEY ARE DOING (continued)

PERCENT OF STAKEHOLDERS TOP FIVE POLICY TOPICS REQUESTED WHO SELECTED EACH TOPIC Evaluation Toolkit 49% EVALUATION PROJECT Public-Private Partnerships 48% GUIDES: Staffing Issues 47% Feedback indicated that the Memorandum of Understanding Template monitoring and evaluation for American Corners Partners 40% guide that results from the Collections Development 36% Evaluation Pilot Project should be as simple as possible to accommodate PERCENT WITH FEWER THAN the small sta¢ sizes of most TYPE OF SPACE FIVE STAFF MEMBERS American Spaces. American Corners 90% American Centers 79% Binational Centers 35%

SUPPORT FOR MAKERSPACE PROGRAMMING: As many as 54 percent of all stakeholders working in American Centers, American Corners and binational centers operate makerspaces. As a result, the Oce of American Spaces developed a plan to o¢er stronger support for using these technologies to advance U.S. foreign policy goals. A series of Facebook Live seminars enable American Spaces sta¢ who are highly experienced with makerspace programming to share best practices with other interested American Spaces stakeholders.

STAKEHOLDER GROUP NUMBER OF RESPONSES PERCENT OF TOTAL (approx.)* TRAINING ENHANCEMENTS: Regional Public 25 100% Engagement Specialists In view of small sta¢ sizes, TOP FOUR TRAINING PERCENT OF STAKEHOLDERS WHO SELECTED EACH TOPIC the Vienna Training Oce TOPICS REQUESTED FOR Public Affairs Section Officers 74 43% PUBLIC AFFAIRS STAFF modi‰ed core training FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS STAFF FOR AMERICAN SPACES STAFF Public Affairs Section programs to include a set of AND AMERICAN SPACES STAFF Locally Engaged Staff 116 67% case studies that illustrate each Program Development 64% 78% Binational Center Staff 100 96% training session, simplify the Strategic Planning 62% 72% American Corner Staff 353 82% action plan that trainees de- Audience Engagement 58% 67% American Center Staff 98 90% velop, incorporate a pitching session to help trainees explain Marketing and Media 43% 64% Total 766 76% their projects and increase emphasis on the top training topics requested.

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19-22521 American Spaces Annual Report.indd 25 12/15/20 11:32 AM 19-22521 American Spaces AnnualReport.indd 26 26 Office ofAmerican Spaces FY 2019 By MicheleKimpel-Guzman,PolicyOfficer, andCynthiaNichols,RegionalPublicEngagementSpecialist AMERICAN SPACES WANT TOKNOWHOWTHEYAREDOING SURVEY RESULTS FORTHEEVALUATION PILOTPROJECT: Where We’re Going Spaces and will provide information about e¢orts ofcompeting countries, provide aboute¢orts andwill information Spaces availabledata, basedon publicly toin¤uence thesameaudiences. Spaces,management withintheOceofAmerican allowstakeholdersinthe‰eldaccess also will todatarelevanttheirAmerican butthey references. tobuilddatavisualization Analytics Centerfor Department’s initiative withtheState improve†ese dashboards notonly data will tostakeholderinterest inhow statisticsthatrespondents provideDue are usedin Washington, D.C., an launched Spaces theOceofAmerican American Spacesadhere totheOpenAccessPrinciples. *These percentages represent thenumberofstakeholdersworkingineachkindAmericanSpacewhosaidtheir BUILDING DATA DASHBOARDS AND GUIDES:

Resources Management. tions oceandInformation - Buildings Opera Overseas with Diplomatic Security, the discussions be usedtoinform Centers,tops inAmerican will phones ascell such andlap- personal electronic devices, andallowing service Wi-Fi Centers, of theimportance American ment-operated inherent inU.S. govern- concerns and thesecurity ofmakerspaces the popularity regardingBased on feedback AMERICAN CENTERS: TECHNOLOGY IN mrcnCnes 78% 88% 87% American Centers Binational Centers American Corners TYPE OFSPACE

OPEN ACCESS*

American Spacesadhere totheOpenAccessPrinciples. *These percentages represent thenumberofstakeholdersworkingineachkindAmericanSpacewhosaidtheir VALUE OF mrcnCnes 74% 90% 92% American Centers Binational Centers American Corners TYPE OFSPACE

VALUE OFWI-FI TO VISITORS* 73% 79% 79% HAVE OPENACCESS*

PERSONAL ELECTRONIC VALUE OFALLOWING (continued) DEVICES* DEVICES*

79% 87% 85% TO VISITORS* OFFER WI-FI 49% 93% 88%

ELECTRONIC DEVICES* ELECTRONIC DEVICES* ALLOW PERSONAL ALLOW PERSONAL 49% 93% 87% 12/15/20 11:32AM

FUNDRAISING FOR AMERICAN SPACES:

†e survey results showed TOP FIVE REASONS PERCENT OF STAKEHOLDERS OFFER WI-FI ALLOW PERSONAL that American Spaces FOR NOT FUNDRAISING CITING THIS REASON TYPE OF SPACE HAVE OPEN ACCESS* TO VISITORS* ELECTRONIC DEVICES* stakeholders would bene‰t from more resources. Unsure of Regulations 49% Only 11 percent of American Corners 92% 88% 87% Unsure of How to Pursue 38% American Spaces stake- Binational Centers 90% 93% 93% holders reported any Difficulty Identifying Appropriate Mechanisms 35% American Centers 74% 49% 49% prior fundraising for their Not My Role 30% American Spaces due to the lack of tools, resources Lack of Sufficient Staff Resources 23% and knowledge. As a result, the Oce of American Spaces will develop a fundraising guide to be integrated in training.

TOP THREE SOURCES OF PERCENT OF STAKEHOLDERS PROGRAMMING RESOURCES SELECTING SOURCE Email from Office of American Spaces 92% American Spaces Website 58% American Spaces Facebook Group 38% IMPROVED EFFICIENCY IN COMMUNICATION: Based on survey feedback, TOP THREE SOURCES OF PERCENT OF STAKEHOLDERS

the Oce of American Spaces OPERATING INFORMATION SELECTING SOURCE revised channels for sending American Spaces Website 39% programming packages through enhanced email Email 34% distribution, Facebook Live American Spaces Facebook Group 22% seminars and reorganization of program packages on the American Spaces website. TOP THREE FORUMS FOR PERCENT OF STAKEHOLDERS SHARING BEST PRACTICES SELECTING FORUM* Email to Post 43% Email to Regional Public Engagement Specialists 38% American Spaces Facebook Group 34%

*Not all stakeholders were presented with every option.

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19-22521 American Spaces Annual Report.indd 27 12/15/20 11:32 AM REGIONAL PUBLIC INCOMING MEMBERS REMEMBERING OUR ENGAGEMENT SPECIALISTS OF THE REGIONAL DEPARTED COLLEAGUES RETIRING IN FY 2018–2019 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT • Martin Manning was an author, historian, SPECIALISTS CORPS • Anne Johnson (to retire March 2020) – Anne researcher, librarian and a recognized authority (Assignment includes countries listed joined the REPS corps in 2006 and served in on the history and practice of U.S. public Accra, Pretoria, Washington, D.C., Buenos after the designated home country) diplomacy. His career spanned nearly 45 years Aires, Yangon and Rome. with the U.S. Information Agency and the • Ana Ayala will be assigned to Pretoria: Angola, State Department. • Bill Middleton (November 2019) – Bill joined Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, the Foreign Service in 1993 and served in Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe • Sandy Bruckner was a member of the Field Almaty, Lagos, Buenos Aires, Dakar, Vienna, Services team whose career included more Washington, D.C., New Delhi and Pretoria. • Alison McKee will be assigned to Accra: than 40 years with the State Department. Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial • Holly Murten (December 2018) – Holly Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sao • Valerie Colby was a Foreign Service Ocer served in South Africa, Buenos Aires, Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Togo who was the ‰rst policy ocer in the Oce of Mexico City, Rome and Islamabad. American Spaces. • Cynthia Nichols will be in language • Mary Sommers Pierce (April 2019) – training and is expected to be assigned to • Wendy Zaman was a REPS who served from Sommers joined the Foreign Service in 1997 Kyiv: Moldova 2003–2017. Her tours included and served in Baghdad, Tokyo, Vienna, Washington, D.C., India, Bangkok, Brasilia Washington, D.C., Berlin and Kabul. • Donna Wiss will be assigned to Nairobi: and Kabul. Comoros, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, • Myra Michele Brown (November 2019) – Madagascar, Mauritius, Republic of Djibouti, • Karen Hartman was a REPS and Myra Michele joined the REPS corps in 2006 Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania Deputy Director in the Oce of American and served in Rome, Accra (two times), Jakarta Spaces. She joined the Foreign Service in 2002 and Kigali. • Mark Burrell will be assigned to New Delhi: and served in Kenya, South Africa and Italy. Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka • Suzanne Miller (September 2019) – Suzanne joined the REPS corps in 2010 and served in • Rita Botts will be assigned to Beijing: China, Warsaw, Abuja and Cairo. Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Taiwan

• Linda Parker (to retire September 2020)

Khorog, Tajikistan

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE OFFICE OF AMERICAN SPACES BUREAU OF EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS SA-5, 2200 C STREET NW WASHINGTON, D.C. 20037

[email protected] https://americanspaces.state.gov

Editor: Sonya F Weakley

19-22521 American Spaces Annual Report.indd 28 12/15/20 11:32 AM