Community Connections is a USAID-funded program designed to promote the exchange of cultural ideas and values between participants, U.S. families, and U.S. local community host organizations. Managed by the United States Agency for International Development and implemented by World Learning in Serbia and Washington DC, the program also works in collaboration with the Public Affairs Department of the U.S. Embassy in Serbia and host exchange organizations in U.S. communities selected by USAID.
These host organizations arrange for the home stays and professional development aspects of the program. Community Connections is currently being conducted in several other countries in Europe and Eurasia.



The goals of the Program

- Provide participants with professional training and exposure to the day-to-day functioning of the American professional environment in a designated field
- Encourage public-private partnerships in Serbia by including private sector and government participants on U.S. visits
- Create links between U.S. and Serbian regions and communities

What is offered?

The Community Connections Program offers 3 week, homestay-based, practical training opportunities in the U.S. for professionals that demonstrate aptitude and leadership potential in one of the following fields: Effective Implementation of Conflict of Interest Laws, Waste Management and Recycling: Practical Aspects and Social Activism, Corporate Social Responsibility, Women’s Health Issues, Establishing Internships, and Hospital/Patient Support Groups and Hospice Care.

The Professional Program will include:

- Site visits and meetings in the U.S.
- Seminars and round tables in the U.S.
- Consultations and group trainings in the U.S.
All expenses in the U.S., including airfare, insurance, professional and cultural programs and room and board are covered. (Passport fees and travel within Serbia are not included.)

Host family stays

The opportunity for participants to live with an American host family is a very important aspect of the Community Connections program. American host families work with the program on a completely voluntary basis out of a desire to learn more about other cultures, other people, and to help others to become more familiar with Americans. Quite often, participants and families remain in touch for a long time and even visit each other on occasion after the program has been completed.