Global Ties Kalamazoo
225 West Walnut Street, #209
Kalamazoo, MI 49008
001 269-341-9494
Executive Director: Jodi Michaels
Website: www.globaltieskzoo.org
A West Michigan citizen diplomacy organization, Global Ties Kalamazoo (formerly Colleagues International) enriches local community with global diversity, one relationship at a time. Since 1971, we have been bringing emerging leaders, from all across the world and in all different fields, to Kalamazoo (and throughout West Michigan) to learn, teach, share, and connect.
Since 1971, Global Ties Kalamazoo has been bringing international leaders to west Michigan. Colleagues International is a community blessed with successful non-profit, academic, governmental, entrepreneurial, and grassroots organizations.
Types of Programs Offered:
• Global Ties Kalamazoo implements exchange programs with a broad array of national partners. https://www.globaltieskzoo.org/partners-projects
• Global Ties Kalamazoo hosts hundreds of visitors each year from dozens of countries.
• Celebrating 50 years in operation, Global Ties Kalamazoo is looking forward to new ways of making global connection possible for everyone in West Michigan, implementing programs that nurture long-term friendships during short-term visits.
Program Highlights:
Global Ties Kalamazoo annually hosts social workers from Germany. Each completes a three-month internship with the hope of creating new professional perspectives and friendships. Global Ties Kalamazoo is fortunate to host such talented and engaging groups of guests, and the exchanges and synergies that transpire are of mutual benefit to visitors and hosts.
"I work with a number of foreign students at the university and always strive to increase my understanding of what it must be like to have to be successful academically in another culture, speaking, writing and absorbing information in another language. It was helpful for me to experience a small amount of that first hand as we met professionals whose work was not so different than my own.”
- Mary Baggerman, Behavior Support Specialist, Kalamazoo Rady 4s, Former Counselor at Western Michigan University, on the occasion of visiting Russia with Global Ties Kalamazoo and CIPUSA partners.
