J-1 Interns from Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macau Join the Local Community to
Celebrate the 11th Anniversary of the FUSIA/CCIP Exchange Internship at Citi Field

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer declared this day "CCIP Appreciation Day" for the sixth year since 2012.

NEW YORK, NY (June 28, 2019) – FUSIA Communication's J-1 Exchange Visitor Program (The Cross Cultural Internship Program, CCIP, www.fusia.net) celebrated its 11th anniversary at Citi Field, home of the Mets, on Friday, June 28, 2019.

The annual event has celebrated the success of international exchanges and J-1 internships since 2008. In attendance at this year’s event were over 120 guests, including J-1 interns, elected officials, community leaders, and internship hosts. They united to hail the collaborative efforts of local and international communities toward promoting and recognizing the continued growth of international exchanges.

The event began with a commendation presentation ceremony led by Marc A. Haken, the Youth, Education, and Library Committee Chair of Community Board 8 in Queens (CB 8Q) and the President of Friends of Cunningham Park.

Kevin Crowley, representing the U. S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and Jasmin Wee, the Consul General of Singapore in New York, greeted the interns and guests.

Numerous elected officials and representatives attended the event, including New York State Senators Toby Ann Stavisky and Senator John C. Liu, NYS Assemblypersons Ron Kim, David I. Weprin, and Alicia Hyndman (rep), Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer (rep), and NYC Councilpersons Peter Koo, and Rory Lancman (rep). These esteemed guests presented commendations in order to recognize the support of the organizations and individuals that further the mission of cultural exchange. Visit www.fusia.net/awards for the commendations.

As a token of appreciation for the support of the local communities, CCIP J-1 interns presented handmade souvenirs to the guests. The design was part of an ongoing series inspired by the Chinese Zodiac. This year, the theme was the Year of the Pig, symbolizing fortune and prosperity.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, guests headed onto the field for a group photo. The event was followed by a baseball game between the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves. Between innings 4 and 5, the stadium erupted in applause when a shout-out for CCIP’s 11th anniversary appeared on the scoreboard. The guests and interns enjoyed the quintessential American pastime as a cap to the night.

While the ceremony marked the end of the journey for the first wave of 2019 CCIP students, it also served as a welcome for the newly arrived July-session interns. The new group will have six-to-eight exciting weeks of learning, growth, and immersion in American culture.