The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs funds and administers the International Visitor Leadership Program, one of its premiere professional exchange programs. The ILVP is designed to build mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries through carefully designed visits that reflect the participants' professional interests and support U.S foreign policy goals.

Ambassadors as one of the most effective foreign policy tools of American diplomacy. The Program's distinguished alumni include such individuals as Tony Blair, Margaret Thatcher, Anwar Sadat, Giscard D'Estaing, Indira Gandhi, Julius Nyerere, Oscar Arias, and F.W. deKlerk.

Participants are established or potential foreign opinion makers in government, public policy, media, education, labor, the arts, and other key fields. Selected by Amercian Embassies abroad, International Visitors come to the United States to meet and confer with their professional counterparts and to gain and appreciate of the ethnic, cultural, political, and socio-economic diversity of the U.S.

The IVLP is carried out through close collaboration with 8 non-profi t program agencies in Washington, D.C. and 94 community-based organizations across the U.S., whose members arrange professional meetings, cultural activities and home hospitality for the visitors. These organizations are members of the National Council for International Visitors, and Kansas City International Visitors Council is one of them.

Tens of thousands of Americans volunteer their time and expertise to strengthening relations between the United States and other countries through the International Visitor Leadership Program.

Over 90% of the programs arranged by KCIVC are for the International Visitor Leadership Program.  The Greater Kansas City International Visitors Council is responsible for creating professional programs for western Missouri and the entire state of Kansas for this important U.S. Department of State program. In fiscal year 2008, KCIVC hosted over 200 visitors and generated more than $225,000 in revenue for Greater Kansas City.  These visitors came from over 80 countries, and approximately 300 appointments were made.  As an important dimension of the visit to the community, many visitors enjoy an evening meal in the homes of local residents.

    Click here to be redirected to the Department of State's IVLP page.