SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
The Glocal Impact Fellowship connects internationally focused University of Iowa graduate students and recent alumni with meaningful opportunities to apply their skills, perspectives, and global experience in service of local communities.
Through project-based work with the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council, fellows collaborate alongside community leaders, international experts, advocates, and social impact organizations in Johnson County to strengthen public engagement, expand cross-cultural understanding, and help make global issues more accessible and locally relevant.
Deepen Connections and Professional Impact
Rooted in the belief that global issues are local issues, the fellowship supports emerging professionals who are passionate about international education, civic dialogue, community connection, and social impact. Fellows contribute to practical projects that advance ICFRC’s mission while building professional experience in areas such as communications, outreach, multimedia storytelling, community partnerships, public programming, and nonprofit strategy.
“The Glocal Impact Fellowship reflects ICFRC’s belief that international education is strongest when it is rooted in local relationships. Through this fellowship, emerging globally-minded professionals and academics have the opportunity to work alongside community leaders, advocates, educators, and social impact organizations to help connect international issues to the lived experiences of people in Johnson County."
- Peter Gerlach, ICFRC Executive Director
2026 Multimedia Strategy and Outreach Fellow
The 2026 Glocal Impact Fellow, Sophia Restiffe-Favoretto, will serve as ICFRC’s Multimedia Strategy and Outreach Fellow. Over the course of the summer, Sophia will help develop audience profiles, messaging tools, multimedia content strategies, and outreach materials designed to expand participation, deepen community partnerships, and promote ICFRC’s Fall Voices Into Votes: Why Turnout Matters Here, There, and Now series. Drawing on her Brazilian-Italian background, graduate training in mass communication, and experience in international education and student engagement, Sophia brings a global perspective and a deep commitment to visual storytelling, cross-cultural learning, and community-centered communication.
Sophia is a Brazilian-Italian communicator, visual storyteller, and recent graduate of the University of Iowa’s Master of Arts program in Mass Communication. She also earned her undergraduate degrees from the University of Iowa, completing a double major in Journalism and Mass Communication and Italian Language and Literature. Her academic and professional path reflects a strong commitment to global communication, visual education, cross-cultural connection, and community engagement. She brings a rich international perspective to the fellowship, shaped by her experiences living, studying, and working in Brazil, Italy, and the United States. Her background bridges journalism, multimedia storytelling, design, language, study abroad, and international student support. Across these experiences, she has focused on helping people understand one another across cultures, navigate new environments, and engage more meaningfully with global learning opportunities.
In addition to her university-based work, Sophia has gained hands-on multimedia and communications experience in Italy and Brazil. As a Video Production and Design Assistant Intern with 3dSign studio in Florence, she conducted interviews, photoshoots, and videography sessions, supported client storytelling, and contributed to blog and visual content production. Her earlier work in Brazil included social media communications, customer engagement, and website support.
As ICFRC’s 2026 Multimedia Strategy and Outreach Fellow, Sophia brings together her global background, graduate training, design and storytelling skills, and commitment to international understanding. Her work will help ICFRC communicate more effectively with diverse audiences, strengthen the visibility of its FallICFRC's fall Voices Into Votes: Why Turnout Matters Here, There, and Now Series, and advance the organization’s mission of promoting international awareness, meaningful dialogue, and community connection through global and civic education.
Sophia Restiffe-Favoretto is a Brazilian Italian alumna of the Master of Mass Communication at the University of Iowa. With a background in strategic communication and passionate about visual and global communication as a form of education, she strives to create impactful narratives that inspire and inform diverse audiences.
At the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Sophia has served as a teaching assistant in Visual Communication and Design and Multimedia Storytelling. In this role, she has led lab sessions, supported students with Adobe Creative Suite and design tools, provided individual feedback and critique, helped evaluate student work, and encouraged a creative and inclusive classroom environment.
Sophia’s experience also includes significant work in international education and student engagement. As a Volunteer International Student Ambassador at the University of Iowa, she has supported international students before and after their arrival on campus, served as a role model and resource, and helped foster a welcoming environment for students from around the world.
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