Young European Professionals in Toledo, Ohio
March 24, 2012 – Toledo, OH: On March 30 and 31, 2012, local community leaders will welcome 16 professionals from Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia to share information about the United States government, citizen participation, and community organizing. These guests are participants of the U.S. Department of State Professional Fellows Program. This year the Professional Fellows Program is providing professional development opportunities to up-and-coming leaders in the fields of legislative process, women’s empowerment, and entrepreneurship.
This international exchange program is the initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The Great Lakes Consortium for International Training and Development of Toledo, Ohio is the organizer of this delegation’s 42-day fellowship to the U.S. entitled “Citizen Legislative Advocacy in Minority Communities”. While in Toledo, the delegation will meet with Michael Beazley, City
Administrator of Oregon, and Peter Ujvagi and Schuyler Beckwith, Lucas County Commissioners Office, to learn about community organizing activities in the neighborhoods of Birmingham and Lagrange. One Village Council and United North will host the delegation, providing an opportunity for the delegation to gain first-hand experience in community action matters in Toledo. The delegation will also meet with city of Toledo leaders Joe McNamara, City Council President, and Steve Steele, Councilman. In addition to these professional activities, the delegation will visit the Imagination Station and The Toledo Museum of Art. A welcoming event for the delegation will be hosted by the Hungarian Club of Toledo (224 Paine Ave., Toledo, OH 43605) on March 31 at 6:00PM, where guests will enjoy a traditional pork dinner with our local community. Ohio State Representative Teresa Fedor will be there to welcome the guests to northwestern Ohio.
“We have a lot to learn from one another,” said Dave Beckwith, Executive Director of The Needmor Fund and a project advisor. “Most of us in the field of community work deal with multiple cultures and nationalities every day. We can learn about ourselves by exploring the work we do
with others.” The Needmor Fund is a private foundation based in Toledo that supports community groups across the country.