Sister Schools featured in International Education Week

By Guest Blogger: Erica Sewell, Youth & Education Program Manager for Sister Cities International

Every November the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Department of Education team up to celebrate International Education Week. As manger of Sister Cities Youth Department this is a very exciting week for me because it speaks to the core of the department - promoting international education and exchanges. This week is about learning something new about other cultures without actually traveling to another country.

This year Sister Cities International was invited to speak at the kick off event for International Education Week on November 17 at the U.S. Department of Education. The topic of the event was school-to-school partnerships and we highlighted our Sister Schools program. This program is a perfect fit because it focuses on pairing schools in the United States with a school overseas to encourage collaborative projects between classes. The program allows schools to connect with a school in another country without international travel by getting youth engaged, interested in global issues, and by adding an international component to the curriculum. Not only were colleagues Jim Doumas and Jennelle Root able to present on Sister Cities and our Sister Schools program but so were several students. Students at Walter Payton College Preparatory High School in Chicago and their Sister School at Ben M’Sik High School in Casablanca, Morocco were able to share their experiences about their exchanges via audio and video conferencing. Faculty and staff from Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, DC and their partner school Lycee Jean Jaures in Montreuil, France also participated—again recognizing another form of a school partnership.

The highlight of the presentation was hearing from the students and listening to the things that they learned and what surprised them. A common theme was how wrong their prior conceptions were, how their host families made them feel right at home and how warmly they were welcomed when they arrived in Casablanca. The impact and life changing effect can best be summed up as a student from Morocco put it, “the 2008 Sister Cities youth conference were the best days of my life!”

A totally unexpected common theme was squirrels. Sometimes it is the little things that you take for granted, such as frequently seeing squirrels that remind you of the first time you traveled abroad, the life lessons you learned, and how you were amazed by something that was second nature to others. The first time I studied abroad I was in London and I can still remember how great I thought their telephone booths were. Yes, I still have the pictures of me standing next to one. I am sure the locals were wondering why I never went inside the booth but to me that was something new and exciting! Every time I travel I discover something new and that is what international education is all about. So what are you waiting for? Encourage your school to form a Sister Schools relationship. Life is truly a journey and not a destination.