The Northern Nevada International Center hosted a delegation of High School Students from Algeria in Nevada on July 23 to August 21 2009. The delegation was in Reno as part of the Algerian Youth Leadership Program of the US State Department.

The Northern Nevada International Center is proud to announce that Khouala Bessam is one of the top students in Algeria. Ms. Bessam was a particpant in last year’s US State Department’s Algerian Youth Leadership Program which was hosted and conducted by the NNIC here at the University of Nevada. After completeing the program Ms. Bessam and her friends returned to Algeria and on June 6th 2010, she joined nearly 500,000 BAC hopefuls at testing centres across Algeria to begin the three-day exam. The BAC is a standardized college entrance exam for Algeria. Ms. Bessam has the best average in the whole Algeria (18.77/20) and is the top student in her country. We, at the NNIC, congratulate Ms. Bessam for her wonderful accomplishment and wish her the best in all her endeavors!

Ms. Khaoula Bessam

For more information, please contact Joaquin Rafael Roces, Program Coordinator, via email at CLICK ME

The Northern Nevada International Center hosted an international visitor from Mongolia, from Jun 30 to Jul 5 2010. The international visitor was invited to Reno as part of the International Visitors Leadership Program of the US Department of State.

The Reno portion of their program will be focused upon:

• How to find & select information sources for news stories
• Producing balanced and unbiased news programs
• The role of media in civil society

Mongolian Journalist visits UNR's Reynolds School of Journalism

Mongolian Journalist visits UNR’s Reynolds School of Journalism and meets with faculty members.  A tour of the school was arranged by Ms. Zanny Marsh, and the visitor met with Professors Alison Gaulden and Rosemary McCarthy.

For more information, please contact Joaquin Rafael Roces , Program Coordinator, via email at CLICK ME

Do you want to learn about other people and cultures?

Are you taking French or you took French in high school but don’t remember?

Are your children interested in participating in future leadership activities?

Then…

Consider hosting an Algerian high school student this summer, from July 5 through July 20!

Learn more about our Algeria-United States Youth Leadership Program, conducted by the NNIC in conjunction with the US Department of State, by attending a home host orientation on June 7.

Where?

Whole Foods Culinary Center (click for a map / driving directions)
(it’s in South Reno’s Whole Foods Market store)

When?

Monday, June 7, 4:30-7 p.m.

Please drop by – and learn how to become a Citizen Diplomat!

How?

If you are interested in becoming a Home Host for the AYLP, please download and print the Home Host application form (PDF, 50KB) and then – once filled out – fax it, send it or bring it to:

1. The Northern Nevada International Center (NNIC)
   821 N. Center Street
   Reno, Nevada 89501
2. Fax: (775) 337-1939
   Phone: (775) 784-7515

Our AYLP Home Hosting Flyer

You are more than welcome (in fact, we’d very much appreciate if you would!) to print out copies of our AYLP Home Hosting flyer (PDF, 458KB) and distribute it, post it on message boards, send it out among your friends and contacts… Thank you in advance!

Eight high school students from Northern Nevada and two students from Southern Nevada were selected to participate in this year’s Algeria Youth Leadership Program, funded by the US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Youth Programs Division. The project is administered by the University of Nevada’s Northern Nevada International Center for the second year in a row through a grant of $275,000 from the State Department.

25 Algerian high school students are concurrently being selected through Algeria by the US Embassy. The two groups will meet in Washington DC at the end of June for five days, then spend two weeks in Reno, three days in San Francisco and the final seven days at Lake Tahoe. They will conduct leadership programs, participate in volunteer activities, learn about how to use social media to engage their community with UNR Journalism Professor Todd Felts, participate in cultural diversity and conflict resolution seminars, and most importantly, learn about one another.

The eight finalists from Northern Nevada are:

• Madeline Burak from Reno High School
• Taylor Skipwith from Damonte High School
• Andrew Goligowski from Reno High School
• Ziad Rashdan from Reed High School
• Jackie Duron from Sparks High School
• Zoie Oberg from Wooster High School
• Sahael Hatefi from McQueen High School
• Amber Sulahria from McQueen High School

Gabreella Friday and Emily Autuna were selected from Las Vegas.

The Northern Nevada International Center also seeks home host families willing to host the 25 Algerian and two Vegas teens from July 5-20. This is an excellent opportunity to meet young people who are interested in learning about our country and culture. The center will hold a home host orientation at Whole Foods Culinary Center on Monday, June 7, 2010 from 4:30-7pm. Interested families should contact CLICK ME

• Community Connections • International Visitor Leadership Program
• Open World Program • Language Bank of Northern Nevada

Contact Information: Carina Black – phone: 775.784.7515, extension 221 – or via email: CLICK ME

The Northern Nevada International Center (NNIC), a sponsored project of the University of Nevada in Reno, is hosting a delegation of Russian health and education professionals from eastern Russia from 20 May to 10 Jun 2010. The delegation is here to study best practices, campaigns, and public initiatives to promote healthy choices and healthy lifestyles. The program is conducted under the auspices of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). We are searching for 4 host families in the Reno-Sparks area who are able to host one adult Russian visitor in their home from 20 May to 10 Jun 2010.

Requirements are a spare bedroom, and access to a private bath. Host family is to provide for breakfast and dinner. Transportation will be provided by the NNIC. Knowledge of Russian is helpful, but not required. If you are interested in promoting a global Nevada and becoming a citizen diplomat, or for more information please contact us at (775) 784-7515.

The Northern Nevada International Center will be hosting a delegation of six individuals from Algeria, Armenia, Japan, Mexico, Philippines and Sweden on May 21 – May 26, 2010. The delegation was invited to Reno as part of the International Visitors Leadership Program of the US Department of State.

The group is visiting Reno to learn about the U.S. foreign policy decision-making process; to examine the process of formulating, articulating and implementing foreign policy in the U.S. democratic system; and to review and articulate U.S. foreign policy goals and priorities.

For more information, please contact Corazon Padilla, Program Coordinator, via email CLICK ME

The Northern Nevada International Center will be hosting a delegation of 10 journalism professionals from Latin America in June. The delegation was invited to Reno as part of the International Visitors Leadership Program of the US Department of State.

The group is visiting Reno to examine the process of investigative journalism and the ideals, ethics, and practices that make up American journalism.

For more information, please contact Dustin Huebner, Program Coordinator, via email CLICK ME

The Northern Nevada International Center will be hosting a delegation of seven judges and legal professionals from Iraq on May 6 to 11, 2010. The delegation was invited to Reno as part of the International Visitors Leadership Program of the US Department of State.

The Reno portion of their program will be focused upon:

• Acquaint the participants with the principles of judicial independence, the operation of the federal courts, and the structure of the state and municipal court systems;
• Demonstrate the judiciary’s role in preserving and strengthening democratic concepts such as government accountability and individual rights;
• Meeting with US Colleagues and counterparts in Reno.

For more information, please contact Joaquin Rafael Roces , Program Coordinator, via email at CLICK ME

The Northern Nevada International Center will be hosting a delegation of 14 prosecutors and intelligence officers from Europe on June 17 – June 22, 2010. The delegation was invited to Reno as part of the International Visitors Leadership Program of the US Department of State.

The group is visiting Reno to have an overview of the U.S. criminal justice system and the legal framework for prosecuting perpetrators of organized crime, white collar crime and public sector corruption; to explore U.S. law enforcement techniques for identifying, investigating and prosecuting individuals, criminal organizations and businesses engaged in public corruption, money laundering, tax evasion, and cyber crimes; to discuss ways in which private sector partners work with government agencies to identify potential vulnerabilities within the financial sector; and to identity ways in which American policy makers and law enforcement agencies can collaborate with European partners to deter, investigate, and prosecute transnational white collar crime.

For more information, please contact Corazon Padilla, Program Coordinator, via email CLICK ME

The Northern Nevada International Center welcomed a delegation of Attorneys and Legal Counsels from Russia to Nevada on April 10 to April 18 2010. The delegation was in Reno as part of the Open World Program of the US Library of Congress.

The Reno program focused upon:

• Representing vulnerable populations and equal access to justice; and
• US judicial systems and legal education.

During the opening of the program, Victor Mercado, regional representative for Senator Harry Reid’s office, met with a delegation of attorneys from Russia at the Joe Crowley Student Union at UNR. Mr. Mercado welcomed the international visitors on behalf of the the Senator to our state as part of the Open World Program which is administered by the US Library of Congress. The visitors will be here from Apr 10th to Apr 17 and will meet with US colleagues, and attend training sessions at the National Judicial College. Mr. Mercado presented the visitors with Wolfpack Football Jerseys provided by UNR’s Associated Student Union of Nevada.

A highlight of the visit was the delegation’s program at the National Judicial College on the campus of the University of Nevada Reno. The visitors met with Chief Judge Jerome Polaha of the Second Judicial District Court (Washoe County). The visitors met with Judge Polaha and discussed the US Judicial System, and in particular the state system in Nevada. Additionally, the visitors and the judge discussed the differences in the legal education between the US and Russia. The visitors noted the lengthy process in the American system which required a Bachelors degree prior to pursuing a jurist doctorate, while in Russia one can go directly to law school. Pictured is Judge Polaha with the Russian attorneys at the Judicial College.

During their visit to the Nevada Supreme Court, the Russian attorneys met with Justice Mark Gibbons of the Nevada Supreme Court and Justice Gibbons discussed the Supreme Courts Access to Justice program; the advancement of women in the judiciary over the last 25 years; and court security. Justice Gibbons and the delegation talked about the recent killing of a Moscow judge who had handled several high profile cases against ultra-nationalists in Moscow and the arrest of the militia members in Michigan.

At the end of the program, Host Family Steve and Nancy Casper hosted a closing reception at their home in Reno. All the host families, friends and NNIC staff were in attendance. At the closing reception, the delegation was presented with certificates by NNIC Board Vice President Claudia Ortega-Lukas for successfully completing the program. Upon their return home to Russia, the Program Facilitator, Yekatrina Alekseeva, commented via email “Now we are all safely home and back to work. So many adventures just in one visit! Please send our best regards to all host families. All my delegates really enjoyed staying with them. They spent great time in Reno. Thank you very much for the program and for all your assistance. The visit was both informative and very interesting. Best regards to everybody we met in Reno.”

For more information, please contact Joaquin Rafael Roces, Program Coordinator, via email at CLICK ME