On August 3, a group of over 30 Baltic American Freedom Foundation (BAFF) summertime Leadership Academy students and supervisors participated in briefings at the Lithuanian Embassy and the Victims of Communism Memorial in Washington DC. For the fourth summer, JBANC helped organize and coordinate the DC events for the rising high school seniors from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Speakers at the Lithuanian embassy included Ambassador Rolandas Kriščiūnas, Kristjan Kuurme from the Embassy of Estonia, and Egils Leimanis from the Latvian Embassy. Other presenters were Karin Shuey from the Estonian American National Council, and Karl Altau and his JBANC colleagues Julia Lazdins and Anna Udre, who is JBANC's third BAFF Professional Intern Program intern. Denise Desrochers, Exchange Foundations Director with CIEE - the Council On International Educational Exchange - wrapped things up by thanking all the participants at the gathering.

Following the meeting with the Baltic embassies, the Leadership Academy students visited the Victims of Communism Memorial, where they were briefed by representatives from the VOC Memorial Foundation, including chairman Dr. Lee Edwards, and VOCMF intern Krista Viksins, who was a JBANC intern in 2016.

BAFF provides a competitive scholarship as part of its mission to strengthen ties between the Baltic and United States and to invest in the development of young Baltic leaders and entrepreneurs.