Engage America: Engaging Americans as Partners in U.S. Foreign Policy
Join Sister Cities for a plated breakfast, with reserved seating as we enjoy remarks from the U.S. State Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Public Affairs – Karen Richardson. This event is FREE, but donations are gladly accepted. RSVP REQUIRED. All proceeds benefit Sister Cities of Newport News, Inc. a 501(c)3non-profit.
Richardson began working for President Obama at his Senate Office in August 2005, serving as Deputy to the Policy Director. Shortly after Obama announced his presidential run, Richardson joined the Obama for America campaign as the State Policy Director for Iowa, a role she assumed in several states throughout the presidential primary. In July 2008 Richardson became the Policy Director at the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and also joined the DNC as part of then-Senator Obama’s Congressional Liaison team. After the presidential general election, she joined the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team. Born in Washington, DC, and raised in Los Angeles, California, Richardson has a BA from Howard University, a JD from Howard University School of Law, and a Masters in International Affairs from the London School of Economics. Youth Travel Eligibility:
Adult Travel Eligibility:
*The Neyagawa Committee reserves the right to select delegates for the exchange based on the applications received, the goals of the exchange and the mission of SCNN. Failure to exhibit the necessary decorum and respect could result in removal from the exchange and exclusion from future exchanges QUESTIONS? Call SCNN at 757.926.1348 or email: info@sistercities-nn.com
http://www.germany.info/ips
Would you like to work at the German Parliament?
The German Bundestag invites you, in cooperation with the with the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Technische Universität Berlin to to apply for an International Parliamentary Scholarship (IPS) to spend five months in Berlin. The IPS program is aimed at highly qualified young men and women who are interested in politics and who wish to play an active and responsible role in shaping the democratic future of their country. The German Bundestag, the German Parliament, offers young people the opportunity to get to know the German parliamentary system and political decision-making processes and to gain practical experience of parliamentary work during a 15-week work placement with a Member of the Bundestag. The scholarship-winners are chosen by the German Bundestag’s independent selection panel. *The IPS Program begins March 1 and ends July 31. Requirements
For more information (in German) and to apply, visit: bundestag.de/ips For specific questions on the application, call: 202-298-4315 ---------------------------- Re-printed from "This Week in Germany:June 24, 2016" Issue see the full text online at http://www.germany.info/ips - KZH Re-Posted from an article on N3 onJune 2, 2016 written by Latoya Jefferson
This year’s World Arts Celebration has been rescheduled for July 16 at 4 PM. It was important to reschedule the celebration because it is one of the signature events the City of Newport News hosts and recognizes the many cultures of those living in the city. There are other special city-hosted events to celebrate cultures like St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, and a special soccer tournament in August that features teams from different countries. The World Arts Celebration is one that is inclusive as it serves as a reminder of how well so many cultures have positively impacted American living. Hosting events of this caliber means a great deal to Newport News: learning, acceptance, and diversity. The city is continuing to grow and people from all walks of life are taking notice of the great potential and opportunities in Newport News. What truly creates the character of a city is the diversity of the people who live there. Leaders of Newport News are making concerted efforts to ensure that every citizen is recognized. Embracing the City’s growing population helps to attract not only more citizens but companies and organizations looking for areas rich in culture. Being culturally diverse is what truly drives innovation and ideas that spread and change the world for the better. Because these ideas come from voices of those from different backgrounds, traditions, and experiences, they can be tailored to serve the needs of many and not serve just one group or one person. Ideas quickly turn into new thriving businesses creating new jobs, better life experiences, and greater opportunities. With the World Arts Celebration on the horizon, think of the positive impact and many contributions of different cultures. While at the Celebration, take the time to explore the many countries represented and ask questions to the representatives at the many exhibits. Recognize the differences but connect with the cultural parallels. Try a new food or a dance or purchase a piece of art and use it as a conversation starter for guests who visit. Most of all, enjoy and celebrate the many customs from around the world here in Newport News. Be sure to take photos and share them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using #NNWAC16 or #NNCulture. The World Arts Celebration is presented by the City of Newport News, Newport News Sister Cities, and the Virginia Arts Festival. For additional information, call 757-926-1400. Updates and announcements (including weather-related announcements) will be posted on Facebook and Twitter @nnfestivals. July 15 & 16, 2016 - Host a college student for just 2 nights!
For the 3rd summer in a row, 30 students and 1 faculty member from China’s University of Electronic Science and Technology (UESTC) will attend a 2-week summer program at CNU. Sister Cities is seeking community members to host the students for the weekend to expand their U.S. experience. Pick up will be on Friday afternoon (between 1 and 5 pm) at CNU with a return to campus on Sunday (after 6 pm). Host families do not have to be Newport News residents. In fact, several of last years hosts were from the surrounding counties of York, Poquoson, and James City, as well as the cities of Hampton and Williamsburg. Hosts are not expected to “entertain” the students. The goal of a “homestay” is to introduce people of different cultures to typical, American, daily life - If there is such a thing!. Going to the grocery store, running errands, taking kids to events, attending a house of worship…you are encouraged to follow your normal routines. If you have not hosted before, this is a great opportunity as the visit is short and there is no schedule to keep other than pick-up and drop off. Completion of a one-page "Host Application" is required. More information is available by calling Kate Helwig, SCNN's Executive Director at 757-926-1348. Fundraising, Festivals and Travel...May is another busy month for Sister Cities News! Volunteer, make a donation or just come out to a festival and check us out!
May 3rd - Give Local 757: www.givelocal757.org A local 24 hour day of giving organized by three area community foundations. We hope we can reach beyond our normal core group of donors and engage those interested in supporting specifically our youth. The objective is to use the funds raised to support a high school delegation to Greifswald, Germany in June 2017.
May 7th - Annual Children’s Festival of Friends at Newport News Park; 10am to 5pm FREE parking for volunteers – get a pass from Kate. Volunteer for a few hours and help the children learn some international flags or assist them with this year’s craft. May 21st - 2nd Annual World Arts Celebration; FREE – 4pm -9 pm Volunteers needed throughout the day to assist with exhibitions and to talk to those attending the festival about our exchange program. Each Sister City will be represented - Japan, China, Germany and France. We also will have the local Bonsai Club join us again to display their art. more at May 18 to 26 - Citizen Delegation Visits Greifswald, Germany! A delegation of 11 citizens will spend a week in Greifswald living with local families and learning about the people and culture. You missed out on this opportunity...BUT, you too can become a "Citizen Diplomat" and join us on our next outgoing delegation! Download an application from our website: www.sistercities-nn.com
Join Sister Cities of Newport News (SCNN) on Saturday, March 19, 2016 from 10 am to 1 pm at the Brittingham-Midtown Community Center for the 9th Annual GlobalBee International Quiz. A visiting delegation of International students from Jahn Gymnasium in Greifswald, Germany will also be entering teams into the event and competing for the "Bill Williams Cup of Global Knowledge", named in honor of the late Newport News educator and Sister Cities' President. Trophies will also be awarded to the top College and High School Finishers. Sister Cities will also award two (2) - $1,000 scholarships to local High School Seniors at the event. The scholarships are designed to encourage continuous learning in the fields of foreign language and/or international relations. Scholarship applications can be downloaded at www.sistercities-nn.com; Application deadline is March 1. Register your team of up to five (5) members (4 players and 1 alternate) to compete. Registration is $50 per team and includes lunch. High School teams play and eat for FREE! Categories include Geography, Current World Events, World Religions, International Sports, Customs, and World History. High School, College, Corporate and Civic teams are all welcome. The GlobalBee has a silent quiz format — teams answer on paper, not verbally. The Global Bee has five rounds of questions broken into two sessions — each round has 10–20 questions. Some questions will be multiple choice, others fill in the blank. There will be fewer multiple choice questions as the competition progresses. For each round, the team will be given an envelope and have 5 minutes to answer the questions given. All teams will get the same questions. Each team must elect a scribe to write down their answers and sign the answer sheet. At the end of Session I we will grade and list the teams in place order; we will not reveal the number right or wrong, just the teams’ placement. There is no elimination process. All teams will compete until the end. An alternate can be substituted after any round of questions. After Session II, the winner (team with the most correct answers) will be announced and trophies awarded. If a tie exists, it will be settled by a “best of” set of questions until a winner is determined. Non-team members such as friends, parents, and teachers are welcome to attend for an observer fee of $10 (includes lunch). This event is FREE for current SCNN members. Register online using Eventbrite or call 926-1348. Team registrations are due by Friday, March 11th. ### |
Kate Zahn Helwig
SCNN Executive Director Kate has worked for Sister Cities since July 2001; you can view her profile on Linkedin Categories
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