Newport News’ Sister City organization is seeking adults to serve as “Citizen Diplomats” for an official exchange to Neyagawa, Japan, from October 16th to 25th. Newport News has been partnered with Neyagawa for over 30 years and has conducted numerous, youth, adult, and cultural exchanges. The City of Neyagawa is located on the Island of Honshu, in the Osaka Prefecture. It boasts a population of just over 250,000 in roughly 9.2 square miles.

“Sister City exchanges are a unique opportunity for people to build global connections,” states SCNN Executive Director Kate Helwig. “We give local citizens the opportunity to build relationships that are meant to improve communities. We open doors and put a face on today’s fast-paced global economy.” Additionally, those travelling as Citizen Diplomats are required to participate in local Sister City programming upon their return. “It is important that those selected for travel represent Newport News both abroad and when they return,” notes Ms. Helwig.  “We know that not all citizens can visit our Sister Cities, but the whole community can still benefit from our exchanges through the experiences delegates share when they return.”

Those interested in participating on the exchange must submit an application and meet several criteria, including: be at least 18 years of age; hold a current passport; agree to pay airfare and incidental travel expenses (combined estimate of $2,000); and, be a current member of SCNN (annual dues are $25).  Delegates are provided “homestays” accommodations with local families in Neyagawa and must adhere to a detailed trip itinerary. The delegation is limited to 20 adults. 

Deadline for submissions is July 1. Questions can be directed to the Sister Cities office at 926-1348 or emailed to info@sistercities-nn.com.  Applications and more information are also available online at http://www.sistercities-nn.com/outgoing-delegations.

The mission of Sister Cities of Newport News (SCNN) is to build and strengthen international cooperation, understanding and development between the citizens of Newport News and those of the world.  SCNN is a member of Sister Cities International (SCI), the nation’s foremost citizen diplomacy movement representing over 500 U.S. cities with more than 2,000 partnerships in over 140 countries. 

Sister Cities of Newport News is pleased to announce that Menchville High (Newport News) has partnered with Jahngymnasium (Greifswald) to conduct reciprocal exchange programs between the two high schools. "Virtual" exchanges between the schools started in the April 2013 with "Skype" calls back and forth between Germany and the U.S. But the exchange became real on Friday, April 11 when 30 students and 4 adults arrived in Virginia for a 7 day visit. Thanks to  29 local families, the German students got a first-hand taste of American life through one-on-one  "Homestays".  Saturday and Sunday we spent sightseeing and just hanging out with host families. During the week, they German students attended classes at Menchville, Warwick, Denbigh, and Peninsula Catholic High Schools, toured Jamestown & Yorktown, and enjoyed the local community. The delegation departed on Friday, April 18 for tours in D.C. and New Your. Come June, it is time for the exchange process to reverse as Newport News students travel to Greifswald under the direction of Menchville German Teacher Frau Christina Willett. As noted by Willett, “It is truly a foreign language teacher’s dream to witness a true representation of what cross cultural relationships between students can do to create global citizens.” More details are available by contacting SCNN’s Executive Director, Kate Helwig at 757.926.1348 or info@sistercities-nn.com.