Sports visitor Program
The Sports Visitor Program builds ties between international and American non-elite youth athletes and their coaches and cultivates participants’ leadership skills to utilize the lessons from sports to positively impact their communities across the globe.
As mandated by the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, commonly known as the Fulbright-Hays Act, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) works to build friendly, peaceful relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through academic, cultural, sports, and professional exchanges, as well as public-private partnerships. The mission of ECA is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchanges that assist in the development of peaceful relations.
The Sports Visitor Program is an initiative of ECA and administered by FHI 360.
FHI 360 is a global organization that mobilizes research, resources and relationships so that people everywhere can access the opportunities they need to lead full, healthy lives. ECA has partnered with FHI 360 Global Connections to deliver impactful programming for the Sports Envoy and Sports Visitor programs. Global Connections is a department of FHI 360 that works to develop high-level, innovative international exchange programs for emerging leaders from around the globe and across a wide range of disciplines and sectors; including sports programs. The mission of FHI 360 is to advance equity, health and well-being through data-driven, locally led solutions — so that humanity thrives.
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA) Sports Diplomacy Division (formerly SportsUnited) builds on the U.S. Department of State’s long history utilizing sports as a diplomatic tool. ECA renewed its support for sports exchanges in 2002, primarily through grants to U.S.-based non-profit organizations under the International Sports Programming Initiative (ISPI).
The Sports Visitor Program is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and administered by FHI 360.
While each Sports Visitor exchange includes customized sessions that meet foreign policy goals and U.S. embassy and consulate priorities, many programs align with four thematic areas.
The Sports Visitor Program builds ties between international and American non-elite youth athletes and their coaches and cultivates participants’ leadership skills to utilize the lessons from sports to positively impact their communities across the globe.