OCTOBER NEWSLETTER
What Works 2019
Go global with Partners of the Americas at What Works 2019 in Goiânia, Brazil from November 18-20, 2019! Join us in three weeks for our most important regional learning and networking event of the year to discuss how we can work together to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.  Comitê Profissional de Goiás and  PartnersCampus Goiânia  will host the conference. Check out the agenda at a glance and register today!



Saving Forests, Changing Lives 
Join the Partners Washington, D.C. Chapter on November 7, 2019, to hear how Marina Carvalho, Minas Gerais, Brazil-Colorado Chapter member, works to combat the issue of deforestation in the mountains of Brazil by equipping local youth to become environmental leaders with the Iracambi Atlantic Rainforest Research and Conservation Center. Together, they are promoting eco-education with students around the world through virtual and volunteer exchanges.
Best Practices: Colorado Chapter
Partners' Chapters are the vehicle through which individuals engage in cross-cultural exchanges, training, and development. In this document, the Partners Colorado Chapter shares its best practices for volunteer management. They succeed at recruitment and retention by practicing the Five I's: Invite, Introduce, Induct, Indoctrinate, and Involve. These I's can help to cultivate a new generation of volunteers for all Partners' Chapters.





Economic Development and Health Unit
During October, Partners' Agricultural Volunteer Opportunity Project (AVOP) received applications for its small awards competition and held a technical review panel to discuss the top applicants recommended to receive sub-awards. The final selection is anticipated in early November. By the end of October, Partners' Farmer-to-Farmer program (F2F) will have fielded two volunteers in Guyana, four in Guatemala, two in the Dominican Republic, and one in Jamaica. Burma, the newest country for Partners, anticipates fielding volunteers in the area of Tree Crops before the end of the year.
Child Protection Unit
During October, Partners President and CEO John McPhail, along with Vice President of the CPU, Carmen S. Peña, visited the U.S. Department of Labor-funded Palma Futuro project in Colombia and Ecuador. While in Colombia, Partners signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Federation of Oil Palm Growers of Colombia (FEDEPALMA) in the presence of the Vice Minister of Labor. In Ecuador, Partners signed an MOU with DANEC, a leader in palm oil production in the country. Moreover, Partners signed a Letter of Intent with the Vice Minister of Labor of Ecuador to continue promoting sustainable labor practices and improve contracting conditions.





Education and Global Citizenship
The  U.S. Exchange Alumni program  kicked off its inaugural Forum on Media Literacy and fourth Career Connections seminar in New York City from October 23-25, 2019. On the first day, 30 attendees, including beatboxers, hip hop artists, videographers, and journalists, gathered for the forum. During the seminar, 58 attendees representing 16 U.S. exchange programs joined to discuss leveraging their U.S. exchange program experience to develop a career path. Next month, the U.S. Exchange Alumni program and the U.S. Department of State will announce the winners of the 2019  Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund . This was the first year for the small grant competition, which seeks to fund service projects led by teams of U.S. exchange alumni.
Working Toward Food Security in Jamaica
Kellen Parrish, Senior Program Officer for the Economic Development and Health Unit, saw firsthand how Partners' Jamaica field staff work tirelessly to make volunteer assignments successful and ensure positive experiences for the volunteers. His time in Jamaica confirmed that the country is full of entrepreneurial, self-reliant individuals who are poised to grow the country’s economy and make the nation more food secure than ever before. 
Empowering Girls Through Paraguay Okakuaa on International Day of the Girl
In honor of the International Day of the Girl, we are celebrating Partners' USDOL-funded  Paraguay Okakuaa  project that combats child labor and forced labor in Paraguay by empowering vulnerable families through educational and economic opportunities, with a special focus on women and girls. 



What Happens to Child Labor in the Colombian Coffee Sector?
The Project Director of Colombia Avanza, Eduardo Bejarano, discussed the importance of addressing child labor in the coffee sector and highlighted Partners’ efforts to solve this problem in an interview with Semana . According to Bejarano, Colombia Avanza’s most important achievement is “designing a coherent and sustainable strategy that has involved actors from the public and private sector, academia, and coffee civil society organizations in Tolima and Huila” around the shared purpose of preventing child labor and promoting acceptable conditions of work in the coffee sector. 



NAU Teams up with Latin American Universities on Global Energy Initiative
This October, students from five universities across Mexico and Argentina studied at Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff, Arizona as a part of the Leaders United for Positive Energy (LUPE) program. They collaborated with U.S. students to learn about ethical science and social responsibility in the energy sector and the importance of global partnerships to power a sustainable future. In addition to attending faculty-led workshops and lectures on policy and scientific advances in the energy field, students visited the Navajo Nation to meet with tribal leaders and explore social justice issues related to mining. The seven-day cultural exchange program was possible thanks to a grant from the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund​.
Open Job Opportunities
Partners of the Americas is hiring! We are currently seeking an On-site Seminar Logistics Coordinator, Accountant I (Field Office Operations), and Accountant I (AP/AR) to join our growing team. Positions will remain open until filled.


Open Internship Opportunities
Partners of the Americas is looking for interns! We are currently seeking a Technology Strategy Intern, Child Protection Unit Intern, Youth Engagement Intern, Program Development Intern, Finance and Accounting Intern, and a Business Development Intern to join our team.