According to Svetlana Kolyada participation in the Community Connections NGO Empowerment program was very important step in her life.   Svetlana is a Program Director of the School for Social Entrepreneurship within the "SMART Concept" NGO in Novosibirsk. Upon return from the exchange Svetlana talked a lot about the role of NGO in civic engagement and facilitation of public participation. One of the ideas that captivated Svetlana in the USA was creation of the interactive museum or space for kids and grown-ups such as the Magic House or City Museum in St. Louis, MO, where visitors could not only get in touch with historical heritage, but also become involved in social and cultural events organized in the museum.

In March – April 2011 a group of professionals who are working on NGO governance and development from Novosibirsk region travelled to the USA to participate in the Community Connections NGO Empowerment program.  In the U.S. the group was hosted by the World Affairs Council of St. Louis in St. Louis, Missouri.

The Community Connections program Small Towns and Rural Economic Development brought together ten Russian professionals from a wide range of backgrounds and organizations such as businesses, universities, city and municipal administrations and committees which provide support to small towns and rural economic development programs in Primorsky Krai.

The group of ten specialists from Russia spent three weeks starting February 10^th, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. The program focused on Reducing Violence against Women was prepared by the host organization - Heartland International. The visitors included various Russian professionals from a wide range of fields that work closely with issues of violence and social services within both the public and private sector. The participants learned about community-based relief efforts for violence against women and examined how legal, legislative and support systems work to help victims and create preventative and counteractive measures against this issue.