About the Author: Mike Hammer serves as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs.

Following Navy’s 17-13 win over Army earlier this month, you may have seen theWashington Post’s ”Sports Section” on December 9 that carried a photograph of Navy safety Kwazel Bertrand reacting to a fumble by Army late in the game.

Bertrand — appropriately wearing number 17 — was captured in that photo running off the field in victory while wearing a patch bearing the seal of the State Department. Naval Academy football players individually choose one or two patches to wear on their jersey for the Army-Navy game. Many players opt for patches with personal ties — a player may select the unit patch from a ship or squadron in which… more »

About the Author: Tara D. Sonenshine serves as Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Rose Gottemoeller serves as Acting Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security.

Think about it. Breaking the glass ceiling and advancing science go hand-in-hand. If we can get more women and girls - maybe half the world’s population - studying science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), we have more chances to solve major global crises, from disease to arms control, from communications to health. Getting ahead on STEM is a challenge worth taking on.

Over coffee one day, we decided that we would do our part to address this challenge. The answer, we believed, was self evident: We need to recruit greater numbers of young people to enter the fields of STEM so that we can extend our budding talent pool. And we must reach out to the 50 percent of our population traditionally constrained from pursuing careers in science: women. 

That is what motivated us to create two programs, both launched on December 19, dedicated to removing barriers… more »

About the Author: Augusta Babson serves as a Program Officer in the Office of International Visitors in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Mayke Randa was sitting in a conference room in San Francisco earlier this month when her hand shot into the air. She was eager to talk to the representative from Medic Mobile, a tech company in San Francisco that uses mobile technology to improve healthcare in challenging settings. “I use Twitter and Facebook to run five non-governmental organizations in Indonesia, but we haven’t used mobile phones for outreach. Today is a fantastic moment for me to meet the people behind important new social networking tools. I can bring this experience and knowledge back to my organizations and make a real impact.”

Mayke founded of a social movement in Indonesia called “Blood for Life” that uses online tools to connect blood donors and patients in dire need of transfusions. She is one of 25 activists from… more »

Since 2006, the State Department and FORTUNE have teamed up with Vital Voices to build on our annual Global Mentorship Partnership to expand the network of women — and men — who use mentorship to empower others.

About the Author: Chris Miner serves as Managing Director of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Professional and Cultural Exchanges at the U.S. Department of State.

This week, in more than 18 countries around the world, women will come together with a broad coalition of supporters in their communities to participate in the Vital Voices Mentoring Walks, a global effort to raise awareness on the positive power of mentorship.

Since 2006, the State Department and FORTUNE have teamed up with Vital Voices to build on our annual Global Mentorship Partnership to expand the network of women — and men — who use mentorship to empower others. In fact, the mentoring walks started when founder and former CEO of Oxygen Media Geraldine Layborne’s schedule didn’t allow her to meet with the scores of young women who sought her advice. Instead of rejecting meeting requests, she opened her morning walks each day in New York City as a gateway for her to connect with these young women. Today, these walks have spread across the United States and throughout… more »

Studying abroad changes lives. Find an international exchange that’s right for you, with the U.S. Department of State: http://exchanges.state.gov

Where will international education take you? Expand your world.

About the Author: Ann Stock serves as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs.

International education is vital to strengthening economies and societies in the United States and around the world. More and more people and governments recognize its importance. This year we are excited to partner with schools, communities, and U.S. embassies around the world to celebrate the 13th annual International Education Week. 

We kicked off the week with our International Virtual College Fair, the largest international virtual college fair in history with participation from almost 200 U.S colleges and universities from all 50 states. We paired them with our team of expert advisors fromEducationUSA to help students around… more »

About the Author: Ann Stock serves as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs.

We broke new musical ground with two innovative programs, CenterStage and OneBeat. CenterStage brings performing artists from Haiti, Indonesia and Pakistan to perform in 60 small and mid-sized cities, giving Main Street America a chance to experience international culture without stepping on a plane. Meanwhile, OneBeat brings 32 musicians from 21 countries — including the United States — to eight East Coast cities to collaborate and make new music together.

That tradition continues with this year’s American Music Abroad, which will send twelve American musical groups to travel abroad to over 40… more »

Girls Rule the (Sports) World: Mentoring the Next Generation of Global Women Leaders in Sports

About the Author: Ann Stock serves as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs.

On Thursday, I met with 17 inspiring women from Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Macedonia, Nigeria, the Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Tajikistan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Individually, they’re up-and-comers in the world of sports — as athletes, coaches, reporters, and managers. Together, they’re the inaugural class of the U.S. Department of State and espnW Global Sports Mentoring Program. The group arrived at the State Department this morning for an orientation to kick off their month-long mentorships with leading American women in sports-related fields. 

For the next four weeks, these emerging leaders will work alongside their American mentors from ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut,… more »

About the Author: Kelli Davis is a program officer in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA) SportsUnited Office.

This year’s United Nations International Youth Day coincides with the start of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs SportsUnited Division’s multi-national baseball and softball visitor program. A group of 20 enthusiastic teenagers— 11 girls and 9 boys — and four coaches from Ecuador, Mexico, and Panama recently arrived for a fast-paced series of activities centered on the theme sports of baseball and softball. What better way to celebrate International Youth Day than embark on a whirlwind sports experience designed for energetic and young athletes?

Throughout the two-week program, the young athletes will engage with their American counterparts,… more »