On Monday, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield kicked off the 2023 U.S. Department of State-espnW Global Sports Mentoring Program, a public-private partnership between the Department and espnW that harnesses the positive power of sport and mentorship to engage international women in sport and American sports industry executives. Now in its 11th year, the Department and espnW have created a global network of women in sports to support efforts to expand access to education, economic equity, and societal opportunity and inclusion. 

This year, the Global Sports Mentoring Program pairs 16 international women from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Fiji, France, India, Indonesia, Kosovo, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Uganda, and Uzbekistan with mentors from the American sports industry, including the Big East Conference; Creative Artists Agency (CAA); ESPN; Double Verify; Monumental Sports and Entertainment; the National Football League (NFL) in tandem with the Green Bay Packers, the Los Angeles Chargers, and NFL Films; the National Hockey League; the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); New Balance; Saatchi & Saatchi; the University of Connecticut; the University of Louisville; the United States Tennis Association (USTA), and the Women’s Sports Foundation. 

The mentorship program focuses on professional development, networking, and capacity building. When the international delegations return to their home countries, they will create and implement an action plan with ongoing guidance from their American mentor. These action plans focus on key issues of importance, from professional opportunities in the sports industry to grassroots engagement with underserved youth. 

The Department’s cooperative partner for the U.S. Department of State-espnW Global Sports Mentoring Program is the University of Tennessee Center for Sport, Peace, and Society. 

About espnW
espnW is a global multiplatform brand dedicated to engaging and inspiring women through sports. espnW.com, the brand’s content home, offers total access to female athletes and the sports they play, takes fans inside the biggest events, and captures the biggest trends in sports life/style. espnW also provides a unique point of view on the sports stories that matter most to women and highlights the crossroads of sports and culture. Founded in July 2010, espnW’s content and voices live across digital, television, radio, films, events, educational platforms and social media.