Local connections. Lasting impact.
A more connected
world starts
here in Vermont.
When people meet, perspectives grow. Help bring international voices, shared learning, and new possibilities to our communities.
Global conversations. Vermont connections.2026 at a glance
Connections you can count.
Impact you can feel.
Behind every number is an opportunity to listen, learn, and see the world through someone else’s eyes.
International visitors
Countries represented
Cross-cultural connections
Professional connections & partnerships
Experts at public events
Vermont homestay families
Our 2026 Annual Report is coming soon.
A global outlook. A local connection.
The world’s big questions belong in Vermont’s conversations.
From trade and technology to democracy and security, global developments shape life close to home. VCWA makes space for Vermonters to explore those connections with people who bring different experiences to the table.
Find your next conversation ↗How connection becomes impact
Different doors.
A wider world.
Step into our work through international exchange, professional learning, or an open conversation.
International exchange
Understanding starts with meeting.
Explore international exchange +
Hosting and professional exchange connect international visitors with Vermont communities. Share a meal, introduce your work, and make room for a different perspective.
Explore home hospitality ↗
Global Leadership Program
Global perspective. Vermont leadership.
Explore global leadership +
Monthly workshops, discussion, and access to local and international experts help professionals strengthen intercultural communication and leadership skills.
Explore the leadership program ↗
Public conversations
Bring your curiosity. Leave with more to consider.
Explore public conversations +
Great Decisions pairs foreign policy readings with expert insight and small-group discussion. The Ambassador Series and International Speaker Series offer more ways to hear directly from global voices.
Discover Great Decisions ↗Explore events and speaker series ↗
A member’s perspective
“This organization you’re running is the neatest, most educational, most personally expansive and rewarding of any organization I’ve been involved with, and there’ve been a ton.”
Don McIntyre · VCWA Member
Our story. Still unfolding.
Connecting Vermont with
the world since 1952.
Founded by Vermonter Warren Austin, a former U.S. Senator and the first U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, VCWA began with a belief in education and engagement as a path to greater understanding.
More than seven decades later, that purpose lives on in the visitors we welcome, the conversations we host, and the relationships Vermonters build around the world.
Explore our history ↗Your place in the story
Connection takes people.
People like you.
There’s more than one way to help Vermont stay curious, welcoming, and engaged with the world.
Open your door.
Welcome an international visitor and share a little of your Vermont.
Learn about hosting ↗Join the community.
Make global engagement part of your year through VCWA membership.
Explore membership ↗Make more possible.
Support the exchanges, learning, and conversations that bring people together.
Give to VCWA ↗Vermont roots. Global reach.
Help the next connection happen.
Your support creates space for the conversations and relationships our communities need.
Support our impact ↗Connect with the world, right here in Vermont.
Conversations, cultural exchanges, and shared experiences that bring us closer.
Vermont connections.
Global perspectives.
Our impact in 2026
200+
International visitors
96
Countries represented
3,500+
Cross-cultural connections
151+
Professional connections & partnerships
49
Experts at public events
22
Vermont homestay families
Global conversations. Vermont relevance.
In 2026, VCWA connected with 64% of Vermont counties. Professional exchanges, public events, and homestays brought international perspectives into Vermont workplaces and communities.
At the State of the World Summit, “From Maple Syrup to Microchips” explored how geopolitics shapes Vermont’s economy, workforce, and businesses. Across the year, public conversations examined AI, international trade, democracy, and global security.
Source: VCWA Annual Report 2026. These figures describe different kinds of participation and engagement.
Bringing the world to Vermont.
VCWA connects Vermont with the world through public conversations, educational programs, and international exchanges. We create opportunities to learn from one another, share Vermont expertise, and build lasting relationships.
Meet the people behind the headlines.
International visitors and Vermonters meet as colleagues, hosts, and neighbors. Professional exchanges and homestays create space to share experiences, understand different perspectives, and build relationships person to person.
Vermont expertise, shared worldwide.
Business leaders, educators, nonprofits, and public officials exchange insights with peers from around the world. Meetings and site visits connect local experience with global questions—and create opportunities to keep learning from one another.
Perspectives that stay with you.
Public conversations bring international expertise into Vermont’s everyday life. Explore the forces shaping our communities, ask questions, and hear viewpoints that deepen understanding of the world and our place in it.
Be part of what happens next.
Welcome an international visitor, join a conversation, or support a community that connects Vermont with the world.
“This organization you’re running is the neatest, most educational, most personally expansive and rewarding of any organization I’ve been involved with, and there’ve been a ton.”
-Don McIntyre, VCWA Member