With the busy summer season rapidly approaching, the Midwest J-1 Sponsors Health Safety Welfare Summit functions to heighten awareness about participant safety, provide relevant training, and inspire new initiatives to further improve BridgeUSA participant health, safety, and welfare.
The conference began with an icebreaker cocktail reception at The Godfrey Hotel Chicago, where Spirit staff had the chance to network with colleagues from CENET and Greenheart Exchange.
The following day, the three J-1 visa program sponsors enjoyed breakfast before the day’s presentations began. This year’s presenters included Director Mark Howard with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the Department of State and licensed counselor Shannon Plate.
Mark Howard reminded attendees about the mission of the BridgeUSA Exchange Visitor program:
To increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through educational and cultural exchanges that support the development of peaceful relations.
He also emphasized the value of Summer Work Travel Community Support Groups and their unique role in providing Exchange Visitors with a safe and successful experience.
In Shannon Plate’s presentation, she provided guidance on best practices that sponsors can implement while providing support to our participants. Part of the discussion included practicing good communication using hypothetical situations.
After lunch, attendees were broken into teams and discussed best practices and opportunities for collaboration. Topics discussed included:
- Isolation/culture shock
- Conflict resolution
- Sexual harassment
Overall, the Midwest Safety Summit was a productive day of sharing perspectives, brainstorming new ideas, and networking with others in the industry.
Special thanks to the teams at CENET and Greenheart Exchange for helping to coordinate such a successful event, and to The Godfrey Hotel for the use of their excellent facilities!
Learn more about Spirit’s Work and Travel program.