This week, nearly 50 female sports journalists from around the world arrived in Washington, D.C., to participate in the first-ever International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) focused on women in sports media. The program will demonstrate the strides that women and girls have made in the decades since Title IX, while also addressing the obstacles female sports journalists face in the United States and abroad. As part of the U.S. Department of State’s “Step In, Dream Big” campaign, this IVLP aims to create a global network of girls and women who create change in their communities through sports.

While in Washington, D.C., participants will meet with their counterparts in the public and private sectors, including prominent sports columnists and media staff with the Washington Wizards. They will then travel to Atlanta, Georgia; Cleveland, Ohio; Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Indianapolis, Indiana; Kansas City, Missouri; Orlando, Florida; and Portland, Oregon for discussions with representatives from organizations such as Columbia Sportswear, Track Town USA, National Women’s Soccer League teams, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, USA Track & Field, CNN, and Girls on the Run.

The program will conclude in New York with professional networking and development opportunities during the Association for Women in Sports Media regional summit hosted by Bleacher Report. The journalists will return home with a new network of international women leaders in the sports sector and action plans to empower women and girls in their home communities.

Follow the program at hashtags #StepInDreamBig, #IVLP, @ECAatState and @StateIVLP on Twitter. For media inquiries, please contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at ECA-Press@state.gov.