On November 16, 2023, Partners' President & CEO John McPhail gave remarks at the launch of a new competition for our 100,000 Strong in the Americas (100K) program in Mexico: "Through cross-border collaboration, U.S., Canadian, and Mexican higher education institutions, along with the public and private sectors, can advance climate action, spur innovation, and share effective models. The challenges are many, but we are convinced that the best solutions will be achieved by working together, through public-private-academic collaboration efforts, such as the one we are presenting to you today."

Partners of the Americas' senior leadership, including President & CEO John McPhail and the Vice President of Organizational Advancement, Juliana Araujo, were honored to attend the 2023 Concordia United States Summit in North Carolina on November 7, 2023, with other global thought leaders, discussing innovative solutions to the most pressing issues facing the country. In 2022, Partners officially joined as a Concordia Patron Member with the aim of conveying strategic partnerships, positioning our brand within international audiences, and continuing to fulfill our mission of transforming lives.

On November 8, 2023, our Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Caribbean Basin program held a kick-off meeting with country directors, field officers, and headquarters staff to discuss program implementation and startup operations. The program seeks to generate sustainable, broad-based economic growth in the agricultural sector and facilitate opportunities for people-to-people level exchanges throughout the Caribbean Basin. During the 2023-2028 cycle, Partners will host volunteers in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Guatemala, and Guyana. We look forward to working with in-country partners and volunteers in early 2024.

This month, Partners' Improving Substantive Gender Equality in the Mexican Workplace project (GEM) continued working with women workers to encourage their leadership within their workplaces and worker organizations. A key element of the project, which is financed by the U.S. Department of Labor, involves identifying women with leadership potential and providing them with the skills and tools they need to better advocate for their rights and those of their peers. Partners' implementing partner Centro Iberoamericano para la Productividad y la Competitividad holds workshops with young women workers in the Metropolitan Zone of the Valley of Mexico on their labor rights, negotiation, and conflict resolution to better prepare them to advocate for substantive equality within their workplaces, unions, and larger communities.

On November 16, 2023, the 100,000 Strong in the Americas (100K) Innovation Fund launched their competition to expand innovative, inclusive climate-action exchange programs between higher education institutions in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. On November 8, 2023, the 100K team showcased their passion for education and commitment to fostering cross-cultural exchanges by hosting a capacity-building session at the Conference of the Americas on International Education in Las Vegas.

In November, our Juntos Aprendemos program supported Bogotá's Secretariat of Education's efforts to prepare the city’s commemoration of International Migrant Day. Juntos played a key role in crafting messages on education and migration policy for the event, prioritizing the integration of migrant students. The program also facilitated workshops that brought together nearly 80 teachers from public schools in Bogotá. This strategic involvement builds upon prior support to local authorities in organizing fairs for regularization and migration services, solidifying Juntos Aprendemos as a significant contributor to ongoing migration discussions.

On November 10, 2023, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee held an event in honor of Veteran's Day in the U.S. Partners' Human Resources Officer and U.S. Navy Veteran, Kirk Del Rosario, shed light on the struggles and specific needs of veterans after they serve, along with laws that have guided their integration into the civilian workforce and ensured their welfare in society. According to Kirk: "Sometimes we just need someone to talk to. Many of us are just young people with dreams, and we struggle a lot with knowing how to overcome this situation. Not everyone has the virtue of coming back complete, physically or mentally."

Discover how our USAID-funded Juntos Aprendemos program is addressing the challenges confronted by Venezuelan migrant children. Learn about the inspiring story of Jeremías, a Venezuelan migrant whose education was interrupted when his family came to Colombia in search of a better life. After a long time without studying, Jeremías enrolled in an accelerated education program implemented by Juntos. Jeremías earned one of the highest grades in his class and was able to transfer into a traditional education program with students his age and at his expected grade level.

Throughout October, our Wisconsin-Nicaragua Chapter hosted its 17th annual Bike/Hike event. The Chapter aimed to cumulatively walk, bike, and hike 2,350 miles, which is the distance between Nicaragua and Wisconsin, to raise awareness of the Chapter and its humanitarian efforts. The Chapter undertakes many humanitarian initiatives, including shipping ambulances and firetrucks to Nicaragua and providing glasses to communities in the country.

As a benefit to all of our Chapter members across the Americas, members can book professional meeting spaces for free at our Washington, D.C. Home Office. All of our conference and meeting rooms are perfect for trainings, meetings, and events. Our newly renovated spaces are equipped with medium-to-large tables, comfortable seats, high-quality video-conferencing technology, wireless internet, and well-stocked coffee and tea stations. Individual members can also use one of our “hot desks,” which are individual offices with chairs and monitors that connect to your laptop. When Chapters visit D.C., they will have a place to convene and change lives. Please email membership@partners.net or click here for more information.