By Victor Gotevbe,
The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) Alumni Association, Lagos State Chapter will on Monday, October 22, 2018 hold a graduation ceremony at Community High School, Tafawa Balewa Crescent, Surulere, Lagos for teenagers from public institutions who participated in its leadership and mentorship program. Some of the Special Guests of Honor expected to grace the occasion include the Public Affairs Officer of the United States Consulate General, Mr. Russell Brooks and the Honorable Commissioner for Education, Lagos State, Mrs. Ronke Soyombo among others.
The Graduation Ceremony is being put together to present Peer Leaders -who were selected based on their interest in the program- to their schools. The schools selected to test run this successful project were Community High School Surulere and Stadium High School, Yaba.
A total of 134 teenagers, comprising 92 female pupils and 42 male pupils were trained on a weekly basis over a three month period. The training held during school hours and follow up occurred through telephone interactions with the students while at home.
The High School students went through different sessions on Career Development, Personal Development Plans, Decision Making, Time Management, Self Motivation, Communications, Peer Pressure, Etiquette and Mannerisms, Identifying their Skills, Maximizing Potentials to Succeed and Understanding their Study Habits, just to mention a few.
Mrs. Omowale Ogunrinde, the Interim President of the Association speaking to Diplomatic Watch noted that the project was a recorded success as the “impact is already visible and measurable”. She added that “the trainees had access to Education Information at EDUCATIONUSA. They imbibed a better lifestyle in terms of self discipline, improved study habits; defined vision and career plans and most importantly exemplary attitudinal change which makes their colleagues respect them.” And some of them were further selected for Coding and Robotics Training during the long school vacation. They can now develop apps, design websites and write programs, she said.
The Association is getting ready for the next training for newly selected schools in another part of Lagos State which will commence in January. The selection of schools is rotational and ongoing.
The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. Through short-term visits to the United States, current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields experience the country firsthand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts.
Some members who facilitated the training sessions.Each year nearly 5,000 International Visitors go to the U.S. on the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). More than 200,000 International Visitors have engaged with Americans through the IVLP, including more than 500 current or former Chiefs of State or Heads of Government. There is no application for IVLP. Participants are nominated and selected annually by the staff at U.S. Embassies around the world.
