IIE/West Coast Membership

GET INVOLVED!

Get involved with the Institute of International Education West Coast Center and participate in an international community committed to education, understanding and friendship across all borders.

Membership
Imagine this: In 1970 Margaret Thatcher and your family have just had dinner. You are discussing the current state of affairs in England and Ms. Thatcher, the current shadow Secretary for Education in the UK, is talking about labor strife and the coal miners. Your daughter plans to study in London the following year and Ms. Thatcher invites her to be her guest on a visit to Parliament and to meet some of her Conservative Party colleagues.

Your membership in the Institute of International Education provides you with the opportunity to meet many of the over 1000 emerging world leaders who come to San Francisco each year when you participate in our 'citizen diplomacy' activities. These meetings give you an opportunity to share your opinions with high-ranking, influential, international decision-makers. You gain insight into some of the foreign perceptions of the US government and Americans, and in turn you can help change negative assumptions and stereotypes and make friends for the United States. These contacts often lead to lifelong friendships and reciprocal hosting when you travel. Although our visitors speak English or have translators with them, this unique public service also gives you the chance to practice your language skills.

In today’s world, it is not enough to leave diplomacy to the professionals. As an IIE West Coast member you can take an active part in promoting global understanding. We especially hope that you will get involved with our International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), consistently rated by U.S. Ambassadors as the most effective public diplomacy tool at their disposal for influencing overseas opinion about the United States. Seeing the United States firsthand and interacting directly with Americans in their offices, businesses, schools and homes repeatedly turns critics and skeptics into informed observers and friends. The IVLP is a perfect complement to renewed emphasis on democracy and transformational diplomacy in U.S. foreign policy and we warmly welcome you into our growing corps of citizen diplomats.

Membership is open to everyone with a personal or professional interest in international affairs and by whose participation peace, security, education and global prosperity can be advanced. Members are, in effect, citizen diplomats, representatives of the United States.

When you join IIE West Coast Center, you’ll have access to a variety of membership benefits and services.

For more information on membership, please contact us at iiesfmembership@iie.org.

IIE is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Membership and all gifts are 100% tax-deductible. IIE Tax exempt number is 13-162-4046.

To Join IIE West Coast Center today click here!

Volunteer
Our primary requirement for volunteers for all programs, including the International Leadership Program, is that all volunteers maintain high professional standards and have a desire to understand other cultures. We use an application and an interview process to select committee members, events staff, visitor programmers and hosts and office assistants. To be eligible applicants must be at least 18 years of age and must have completed high school or an equivalent. Volunteers must be highly motivated to be goodwill ambassadors. We pride ourselves in our reputation for providing excellent service to our visitors, members, partners and staff.

For more information on volunteer opportunities, please click here.