Incoming Delegations Depend on "Homestay Hosts"
Each year Sister Cities welcomes international guests to Newport News. Specific opportunities are listed to the right, but you don't have to wait. You can submit a Homestay Host Form now and get on our host list now.
We will contact you (usually via email) to let you know of opportunities. More information on host responsibilities are detailed below. Homestay Hosts are a vital link in successful international exchanges.
Homestay Hosts are the faces and hearts of our community. By opening your doors to an international guest, you show them who we are as Americans. Our host families are as diverse as our community. We try to match hosts with delegates 1 month prior to each exchange. Below are some of the responsibilities of hosting a Sister Cities delegate: Home-stay hosts are expected to:
To assist you, Sister Cities of Newport News will:
Residency in Newport News is not required. SCNN has host families in Newport News, York County, Hampton, Williamsburg, James City County, Surry, Norfolk, VA Beach, Chesapeake and even Smithfield. You can be single or a family with children. |
CURRENT HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES:June 13-17, 2023
Carrigaline, IRELAND Newport News is eager to welcome delegates from our newest Sister City for an official signing ceremony! Fall 2023 Lithuanian Parliamentarians Sister Cities will be working with the U.S. Congress' OPEN WORLD program to host this delegation. "Open World" is the first & only international exchange agency in the U.S. Legislative Branch. "The Open World program focuses both on assisting the Congress in its oversight responsibilities and on conducting exchanges that establish lasting professional relationships between the up-and-coming leaders of Open World countries and Americans dedicated to showcasing U.S. values and democratic institutions. The Center’s bipartisan nature and independence from the priorities of any presidential administration is an important asset for the program." Spring 2024 (tentative_ Neyagawa, JAPAN A mixed-age delegation is anticipated in March 2024. This delegation visit was first planned for March 2020 but cancelled multiple times due to the Covid-19 pandemic. ![]()
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Note: For insurance purposes, SCNN, Inc. requires all hosts to be current members of the non-profit organization. Hosts receive no compensation, but can submit receipts for actual expenses incurred for a tax deductible donation receipt.
Previous Exchanges Included...
March 27 - April 6, 2019
10-Member Youth Delegation to St. Nazaire LaVerne Flowers, Warwick French Teacher & Lead Chaperone Elsa Sangouard, Chaperone Fergi Cabrera Aurelie Flowers Ryan Johnson Kylie Lakin Faith Vincelette Chloe Watson Family members, Bruce and Alex Flowers April 12-19. 2019 Hosts for 34-member Jahn Gymnasium Delegation The Baker-Richter Family The Bell Family The Brinkley Family Christine Cann The Clark Family The Dahl Family The Danehy-Simonds Family The Devereux Family The Grube Family Joe and Bobbi Hutchko The Janney Family The Jones Family Fred and Phyllis Kohlman The Lakin Family Barbara and Bob Lucas The McCoy Family The Miles Family David and Christine Peterson The Ramirez Family The Roach Family Ron and DJ Russell Jeff and Katie Stodghill The Carter Family The Washington Family May 8-15, 2019 11-Member Adult Delegation to Greifswald Christine Cann Paul Danehy Phyllis Kohlman Fred Kohlman Al Riutort Judi Riutort Katie Stodghill Jim Taylor Virginia Taylor Brent Williams Elli Williams June 15-29, 2019 15-Member Youth Delegation to Greifswald Christina Willett, Menchville German Teacher & Lead Chaperone Jessica Janney, Chaperone Christiane Clark Dani Clark Georgia Danehy Susan Grube Nahsir Hill Emma Janney Kylie Lakin Jayla McCoy Melissa Miles Hailee Mulligan Lily Ramirez Jack Roberts Alex Yau July 19-21, 2019 Hosts for 13-Member UESTC (China) College Summer Program The Combs Family Kate Helwig and Michael Hobert The Singh Family Nancy Hodges and Terry Martin Frank and Nancy Hunyady Fred and Phyllis Kohlman The Liu Family Steven Tung and Melvin Lauf The Zinn Family October 3-8, 2019 Hosts for 12-Member Chengdu Textile College Performers Mildred Byrd Kate Helwig and Michael Hobert Frank and Nancy Hunyady Fred and Phyllis Kohlman Steven Tung and Melvin Lauf Tom and Jenny Perham Hap and Holly White The Zinn Family 2018 Neyagawa Host Families & Delegates Clark Family / Sachi Horimoto Danehy Family / Haruka Kawaharada Davis Family /Midori Kitano Ditto Family / Yukiko Kita Farquhar Family / Akihiro Oi Hunyady Family / Nobutsugu Ono Kohlman Family / Kana Kawabata & Maho Kawabata Nichols Family / Ryu Kondo Perham Family / Yusuke Torii Schilling Family / Keisuke Sakamoto Signorelli Family / Shota Ihara Singh Family / Hiyori Takeshita & Yuna Nakai Taylor Family / Hiromi Nishio Velkey Family / Hidetoshi Yamaguchi West Family / Yoko Takeshita Williams Family / Meiko Matsui &Kazutaka Nishizawa Winters Family / Tsugumasa Toma 2018 UESTC-CNU Host Families & Delegates Hunyady Family / Yu Yankun Kohlman Family / Duan Weidi & Zhang Tinghui Malhotra Family / Cheng Lei & Hu Jing Taylor Family / Gong Ting & Han Congrong |
UESTC-CNU SUMMER UNIVERSITY PROGRAM
Since 2013, Sister Cities Newport News and Christopher Newport University have welcomed up to 25 students and faculty from China’s University of Electronic Science and Technology (UESTC) for a 2-week summer school program on the CNU campus. To enhance their U.S. experience, local families open their homes to host a student (or two) over the weekend. Pick-up is 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 hosts have been from the surrounding counties of York, Poquoson, and James City as well as the cities of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Hampton and Williamsburg. Hosts are not expected to “entertain” the students; the goal of a “homestay” is to introduce those from a different culture 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…hosts are encourage 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 SCNN's Executive Director, Kate Helwig at 757-926-1348 or email: info@sistercities-nn.com |