Category: Student Delegations
Fort Worth Sister Cities International has partnered with Blue Bridge International
Fort Worth Sister Cities International has partnered with Blue Bridge International for the 2nd year and is welcoming an international intern from Nanjing, China to work on various international programs in our office July 22-August 16.
Ms. Ring Tu just completed her Master’s degree in Media Management in the school of Communication at Hong Kong Baptist University. She is home hosted by volunteers with the Blue Bridge International program in Fort Worth. Blue Bridge International is a student and professional cross cultural leadership development organization that provides programs designed for personal growth and development. Their mission is to foster opportunity for this level of interchange through programs that are not focused on resume building or sight-seeing, but rather that challenge us to personally contribute to the positive change that occurs when we give, receive, learn, and develop friendships.
We are excited to welcome her to our team.
ARTES DE LA ROSA AND SISTER CITIES TEAM UP
Fort Worth, TX—Sister Cities Intern from Toluca, Mexico to Visit this Summer
Gustavo Pereyra, an international theater arts student from Tec de Monterrey University in Toluca, Mexico, will be interning with the Artes de la Rosa staff this summer. His main focus will be on the stage productions for the Artes de la Rosa summer program.
Mr. Pereyra will report to the Director of Education, Yvonne Duque, and is being home hosted by Artes de la Rosa board members. “Gustavo will be a welcome addition to our team and we look forward to having him on board this summer,” said Duque. Fort Worth Sister Cities International is pleased to partner with Artes de la Rosa on this annual internship program beginning in May and running through August.
Sister Cities internships are centered around international project management and provides students with hands on experience. Sister Cities has positions managing international projects and partners with other organizations such as Arts de la Rosa and the Convention and Visitors Bureau on specialized internships.
Interns working on international exchange programs at the Sister Cities office this Spring include Katrina Elmasri, who just graduated from the University of North Texas; Christine He, who is from China and has served as an official interpreter for the Beijing Olympics; Larkin Churchill, Texas Christian University; Diana Muradyan, University of North Texas; and Ashton Myles, Tarrant County College.
Toluca, Mexico is Fort Worth’s closest Sister City. Signed in 1998, this partnership has resulted in many programs such as: middle and high school-to-school partnerships including the Model U.N. program; municipal and economic forums; monarch butterfly tourism exchanges; culture, language and mentoring programs; a medical school intern program and Fort Worth Police Department training exchanges.
Mexican University Students Visit Area Engineering Companies
Fort Worth, Texas — Sister Cities provides unique experience for students
Engineer and Biotech Students at UTA
Fort Worth Sister Cities has welcomed 14 engineering students and 2 educators from Toluca, Mexico’s Tec de Monterrey University March 23 — 30 for a unique engineering mentorship program. Toluca has been Fort Worth’s sister city since 1998 and this is the 5th year of this engineering program.
The students are visiting area corporations including Alcon Laboratories, BNSF Railways, Bell Helicopter, Lockheed Martin, Botanical Research Institute of Texas, TCU, the UTA Robotics Institute and Formula One Race Car lab, Cowboys Stadium, UNT Health Science Center’s Forensics department and Human Movement lab, Fort Worth Police Department Crime Lab, and DFW International Airport.
There are two groups of students from Toluca experiencing separate but concurrent exchanges; students studying biotechnical engineering specifically and students studying all areas of engineering including automotive, mechanical, electrical and more. The students are here to learn about possible careers they might chose in the field of engineering, as well as enhancing their academic experiences, as this exchange is considered a special class project for each student.
All students and educators will be home hosted by Fort Worth Sister Cities host families in order to give them a glimpse into American life. While here they will also have an opportunity to explore cultural attractions and experience true Texas hospitality.
Sister Cities thanks all the businesses, universities, and host families for their generosity and hospitality during this program.
Arlington Heights High School hosting students from Trier, Germany
German Sister City sending students to Fort Worth
Fifteen high school students from Trier, Germany will spend two weeks hosted by Arlington Heights High School as part of the Sister Cities Ambassador School Program March 28 — April 13th.
The goal of this exchange is to provide an international experience that will further inspire global understanding, provide an opportunity to share cultural heritage and traditions, learn about the U.S. educational system and gain a personal perspective of the United States by living with a host family in Fort Worth.
The exchange begins by sharing the Easter weekend tradition with host families. The last two weeks will include the German students sharing their culture in various classes and club activities, as well as learning about Texas culture during local tours and site visits to the Stockyards, Amon Carter Museum and the Sid Richardson Museum.
The students will also be hosted for a day by Leonard Middle School and Chisholm Trail High School who will be the Ambassador school for Trier in 2014. Several students from these schools will be traveling to Trier as part of the Sister Cities summer exchange program and will be home hosted while there.
The students will conclude their stay in Fort Worth with knowledge of Texas history led by Arlington Heights German teacher Cody Cox who will lead them for a weekend trip to San Antonio. They will tour the Alamo and Institute of Texas Cultures and visit Sea World while there. They will also enjoy a boat ride along the San Antonio River.
Student Ambassadors heading to Italy and Hungary 2016
Youth learn to be global citizens through Sister Cities
Two youth groups have been preparing for months for their international adventure in March when they will represent Fort Worth in Italy and Hungary on Sister City exchanges. While there they will be recognized by city officials, tour cultural sites and be immersed in two very distinct cultures. They will visit Reggio Emilia, Italy, Fort Worth’s first sister city, as well as Florence and Verona and experience Budapest, Hungary where they will share our Texas culture in schools and visit historic sites. While in Hungary they will also take a day excursion to Vienna, Austria. The students will all have the unique opportunity to live with host families while visiting Fort Worth’s sister cities in order to gain a unique perspective of another country. Congratulations all Youth Ambassadors and Leaders: Reggio Emilia, Italy: Youth delegation led by FWISD teacher Maria Cruz and Associate Delegation Leaders Jeremias Hernandez from UTA and Cindy Vasquez from Alcon. High school ambassadors are: Megan Eckelbarger, Edwin Gomez, Kendall Gratsy, Kimberly Guthrie, Alex Loesch, Zackary Kurima, Maximina Martin, Jennifer Montiel, Olivia Morrow-Payne, Alejandra Perez, Taylor Rousseau, Alison Strickland, and Verenice Vazquez. Budapest, Hungary: Youth delegation will be led by alum Aracely Perez and Associate Delegation Leaders Elizabeth Romero from TWU and UNT intern Diana Muradyan. Youth Ambassadors are: Helen Brose, Jazmine Camacho, Nohemi Gomez, Elva Gutierrez, Meredith Johnston, Mary Kroll, Yilan Liu, Hannah Merrifield, Liam Neville and Peter Satz.All Saints Episcopal School Hosts Students from Toluca, Mexico
Mexican Sister City sending students to Fort Worth
Ten high school students from Toluca, Mexico’s Tec de Monterrey Multicultural Program will spend two weeks in Fort Worth hosted by All Saints Episcopal High School March 18-29. All Saints is one of several Ambassador Schools hosting student delegations from Fort Worth’s Sister Cities this year. The Toluca students will be immersed in a two-week program of academics and cultural immersion that will include classes in environmental science and world cultures, along with community service projects and tours of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Stockyards, Cowboys Stadium, Amon Carter Museum, Kimbell Art Museum and the Fort Worth Museum of Science & History. The Toluca students must complete an international exchange as part of their graduation credits and chose to visit Fort Worth. The goal of the exchange is to provide an international experience for the students that will inspire global understanding, as well as, an opportunity to share their cultural heritage and traditions with the student body at All Saints. The experience will also provide opportunities for the Toluca students to learn about the U.S. educational system and develop new friendships through a home hosted experience with Fort Worth families. Sister Cities will facilitate this exchange through its Ambassador School Program conducted with various high schools for a 2 to 3 week period. The participating Fort Worth schools support the requirements of the students through academic, entrepreneurial and institutional visits.Calling High School Students for International Leadership Academy
Fort Worth, Texas- Applications due February 25th
This year’s International Leadership Academy (ILA), themed “The World in HD”, will be held on the TCU campus July 13-28. High school students (grades 9-12) are invited to attend. Applications are being accepted now through Feb. 25th and can be downloaded on the Fort Worth Sister Cities website at ILA.
Participants will live on the TCU campus, and share a room with students from another country. They will attend classes that are designed to challenge stereotypes, highlight cultures, promote diplomatic dialogue and develop leadership skills. Activities will also include field trips to local museums, the Fort Worth Stockyards and a community service project.
This unique youth leadership program promotes global understanding by building friendships and creating awareness of international issues. Since 1989, this award-winning program has brought young people from Fort Worth’s eight sister cities to the area for leadership training.
Middle school students are invited to attend the Jr. International Leadership Academy July 8-12. Applications are also available online and will be accepted through April 23. Last year’s JILA included students from Iraq, sharing their cultures.
A full description of ILA, along with application information, is available at ILA.
For more information, individuals should contact Irene Chase, vice president at (817) 632-7101 or irene@fwsistercities.org.
Local Students to Serve as Fort Worth Ambassadors
Fort Worth, Texas – Students selected to visit 7 Sister Cities
74 students recently completed a vigorous selection process and have been invited to represent the City of Fort Worth as Ambassadors to seven of eight of Fort Worth’s sister cities.
Youth Ambassador exchanges open the door to the future for students giving them the opportunity to explore history and experience languages, food, culture and arts of the country they visit. Students live with host families to fully appreciate and develop an understanding of the culture and its traditions. Exchanges range from 9 to 15 days.
The selection process includes written essays, teacher recommendations, report cards and in-person interviews conducted by the teachers who lead the delegations abroad. Students make friends around the world while developing essential skills to be successful in a global society. “We had nearly 80 students apply this year for international exchanges. It is a very competitive process and we feel we have an outstanding class to represent Fort Worth abroad next year,” said Eva Bonilla, Chair of the Programs and Exchanges committee of Fort Worth Sister Cities.
The 2013 exchanges are scheduled for March and June to Reggio Emilia & Florence Italy; Budapest, Hungary & Vienna, Austria; Trier, Cologne & Frankfurt, Germany; Nagaoka & Tokyo, Japan; and Mbabane, Swaziland & Johannesburg, South Africa. A group will also travel to Guiyang, Beijing and Xian, China in July.
This year’s Ambassadors represent students from FWISD, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD, and several private schools. Scholarship assistance of nearly $85,000 is awarded annually insuring a diverse group of students representing Fort Worth.
Trinity Valley School Hosts Students from Toluca, Mexico 2012
Ten high school students from Toluca, Mexico’s Tec de Monterrey Multicultural Program will spend three weeks in Fort Worth hosted by Trinity Valley High School Nov. 19 – Dec. 7th. TVS is one of several Ambassador Schools this year hosting student delegations from Fort Worth’s Sister Cities.
Trinity Valley’s Director of Global Initiatives, Dr. Michael Roemer, has planned an enriched program. The exchange begins with a traditional Thanksgiving celebration with host families. The last two weeks will include classes in Environmental Science and various club activities such as the World Cultures and Sustainability Club meetings.
“Hosting this exchange at Trinity Valley School helps our students learn the value of diversity and to seek commonalities that tie us together,” said Dr. Roemer. Trinity Valley School’s Global Initiatives program is committed to educating K-12 students to become aware of and engaged with the world.
The Toluca students will also take part in educational programs at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas and BNSF Railways. Cultural tours are planned to the Stockyards, Cowboys Stadium, the Amon Carter Museum and Kimbell Art Museum. Opportunities for the students to enjoy a true western experience on horseback are also planned.
The goal of the exchange is to provide an international experience for the students that will inspire global understanding, as well as, an opportunity to share their cultural heritage and traditions. The experience will also provide opportunities for the Toluca students to learn about the U.S. educational system and develop new friendships through a home hosted experience with Fort Worth families.
The Toluca students must complete an international exchange as part of their graduation credits and chose to visit Fort Worth. Sister Cities will facilitate this exchange through the Ambassador School Program conducted with various high schools for a 2 to 3 week period. The participating Fort Worth schools support the requirements of the students through academic, entrepreneurial and institutional visits.