| "I thought from our perspective the tour went very well. Given their diverse professional interests, there was really something for everybody…when they left I had a very strong sense that there was a connection between our administrative staff and the museum staff from this distant country. I think some strong bridges were built."
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 Community Connections professional programs provide NIS participants with new knowledge and training that is transferable to their communities and increases their professional capabilities. Professional Programs consists of two weeks of on-site seminars and presentations by a variety of organizations, businesses and city and state representatives relevant to each group's area of expertise. Presenters are the primary providers of information and insight from whom program participants can learn a combination of practical and theoretical knowledge in their particular professional field. Program presenters have the unique opportunity to open a dialogue with program participants on their shared professional interests. The most successful presentations have been by community experts who felt invested in the participants' learning and success.
In its role as facilitator for the Community Connections programs, Project Harmony relies on the knowledge and experience of community experts to present program content. Rather than organizing a study tour that provides a breadth of theoretical information on loosely connected topics, Community Connections programs are organized around a curriculum that provides innovative skills, techniques and methodologies that visiting professionals can adapt and apply to their specific work at home.
Project Harmony's 2002-2003 program themes are Urban Planning, Youth Advocacy, Business Internships, and Information & Access. To learn more about these particular program themes, please go to Program Themes.
The Visit
Visits to the workplace often involve a tour of the facilities as well as meetings with a range of professionals at the organization. In the past, viewing demonstrations and participating in activities have helped participants to learn the most from their activities. Some examples include observing open-heart surgery for medical professionals, viewing restorative efforts in restorative labs in museums for curators, and attending open school lessons for educators.
The Presentation
It is challenging to prepare a presentation about your institution, school, programs and work in the limited time allotted. Below are some suggestions that have helped past presenters:
- When possible, begin by briefly sharing why you personally are committed to your work. Understanding your personal commitment is often as important to the visitors as professional credibility.
- Give a brief history of the evolution of your agency, project or program. Charts are helpful to show the structure of your agency and how your agency collaborates with others.
- Talk about funding sources for your organization or projects. Our guests are extremely interested in how projects and organizations are funded in the U.S.
- Mention laws or mandates that influence your work even if your organization is not connected directly to a state or federal agency.
- Allow ample time for questions and answers.
Exchanging Professional Materials
Guests from Russia are very interested in finding out as much as possible about how their profession is practiced abroad. Any materials (pamphlets, brochures, handbooks, etc.) that pertain to their profession are invaluable to your guests. As new material on specific fields is becoming more and more available, it is still difficult to find literature from abroad. In our "Information Age," website addresses are also very valuable for future research. Project Harmony can assist in the translation of written materials.
Language/Translators
Professional and experienced translators will accompany the visitors. You can assist the translator by following these guidelines:
- Speak slowly and pause after every two or three sentences. This gives the translator time to interpret your comments accurately. The interpreter may ask you to repeat a comment or clarify your thoughts or even to describe in more detail a concept. The translators are very knowledgeable about American realities that may be unknown to the Russian visitor and can assist you in getting your ideas across accurately.
- Avoid using catch phrases or slang. Acronyms that are often used within your field of work need to be explained clearly from the start.
- Finally, give equal time for translation. For example, if you plan 10-minute presentations, the actual allotted time should be 20 minutes to include translation.
If you are interested in sharing your professional expertise with one of the delegations we will be hosting in Vermont, please Contact Program Staff.
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