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Sister Cities Highlights
Savoring
Sister Cities, April 10, 2008
The second annual
Savoring Sister Cities welcomed approximately 200 TGA members, supporters and
guests to Harwelden Mansion for an evening of international fun. The event offered
Tulsa area residents an opportunity to learn more about Tulsa’s global family
and opportunities to interact with people from around the world. A $1500 grand
prize was awarded to 7th grade Carver Middle School teacher Debbie Givens, which
can be used toward an international trip to one of Tulsa's Sister Cities.View
our photo album. Comments ranged from "very nice" to "excellent
job" and "class act".
Tulsa-Utsunomiya
Student Exchange 2008
Thirty middle school students
and three adult chaperones from Tulsa's Sister City Utsunomiya, Japan visited
Tulsa March 28-April 4. This is an annual exchange that has been going on since
1995. During their visit, the Japanese students lived with local volunteer host
families and attended local schools. Students are also required to participate
in a day of community service. This year, students volunteered at Lee Elementary
(see photo). View our photo album for more pictures of the day at Lee. More photos
will be added. If you are a student, host family or voluteer and have any photos
to submit, please send to the TGA Community Relations Director. In June, Tulsa
students will travel to Utsunomiya to particiapte in an exchange with Kiyohara-kita
Elementary School. Lee Elementary Art Teacher Elizabeth Martin will be the delegation
leader and travel to Utsunomiya with the Tulsa-area students. Trip dates are June
5-15. We are accepting applications from students who will be graduates of grades
7-12 this year. For more details: http://www.tulsaglobalalliance.org/utsunomiyaExchangeInfo.htm.Tulsa
and Utsunomiya have been Sister Cities since 1992. The Sister City program is
coordinated locally by Tulsa Global Alliance. Tulsa has eight Sister Cities: San
Luis Potosi, Mexico; Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Beihai, China; Tiberias, Israel; Utsunomiya,
Japan; Zelenograd, Russia; Celle, Germany; and Amiens, France. Zelenograd,
Russia, turns 50.
Tulsa
Zelenograd Chair Irina Krivtsova and Tulsans were invited by the Zelenograd's
Prefect office to participate in the city's 50th anniversary. Tulsa-Amiens
Student Exchange 2008
Holland Hall students and their teacher, Christy
Mason, visited Amiens on their exchange trip with La Providence school in March
2008.  Tucky
Roger Education Fellowship Applications Now Available
The
Tucky Roger Fellowship provides
financial assistance through the Tulsa Global Alliance for teachers and educators
throughout the Tulsa Metropolitan Service Area to support efforts of their own
design to promote global awareness, education, and understanding by visiting Tulsa's
Sister Cities and by serving as a resource for TGA, educational institutions,
and students.
 Tulsa
Bar Goes Global
Amiens, France - Madame le Batonnier
Martha Rupp Carter, also known as Tulsa County Bar Association President, and
le Batonnier Francis Lec of the Ordre des Avocats of Amiens, France formalized
a sister bar association relationship on October 30, 2007. The bar leaders signed
a Memorandum of Understanding committing their respective associations and attorneys
to establish a relationship beneficial to their memberships. The document signing
ceremony was in Amiens, France in the city's historic courthouse or Palais de
Justice. Read more about Tulsa-Amiens
Bar Association Agreement.
 International
Sports Exchanges
Tulsa, Oklahoma -Tulsa Global
Alliance recently compiled
a Tulsa Sports Guide
listing Tulsa's annual sporting events. This guide is the start of an international
initiative to encourage sports exchange between Tulsa and its eight Sister Cities.
Utsunomiya and Tulsa frisbee golf clubs are already discussing their frist international
exchange and the Tulsa Sports Commission is looking into hosting an International
Soccer Tournament in 2009. San Luis Potosi runners annually run in the Tulsa Run
and have invited Tulsa runners to join them at SLP's XXV
Carrera Internacional Lomas 2008 on April 20. If
you are interested in a sports exchange, let us know. We'd be happy to get you
connected! Email
or Call us at 591-4750.
 San
Luis Potosi (SLP) Athletes Run in the Tulsa Run
Tulsa,
Oklahoma - Three visitors from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, traveled to Tulsa to participate
in the Tulsa Run, October 27, 2007. Runners from San Luis Potosi have been racing
in the Tulsa Run since 1982. Before the race, the SLP delegation officially invited
Tulsa Run Race Director Marcia Whitaker and Tulsa runners to SLP's XXV
Carrera Internacional Lomas 2008 on April 20. Cultural sights included a stop
at ORU to see the Praying Hands and a visit to the Jenks Aquarium. Great job to
our Sister City athletes. Francisco Vinaja Sauced won his age group (65-69) with
a time of 1:06:44; his wife, Martha Martinez, placed second in the overall racewalkers
division with a time of 1:50:25; and Armando Berlanga, annual TR racer, placed
26th in his age group (60-64). See
photos.
 Tulsans
travel to Celle, Germany for Partnerschaftstage, Sep. 27-30, 2007
Tulsa City Councilor Bill Martinson, Tulsa Fire Marshal
Paul Gallahar and a delegation of 21 Tulsans traveled to Celle, Germany to join
in the celebration of Celle's 30th Anniversary with its Sister City Travistock,
England. Sister City officials met for a discussion on "Europe - Sovereign
identity or merely a working place". Delegations also particiapted in city
tours, the annual Stallion Parade, one-on-one meetings with counterparts and official
celebration ceremonies. Grant Wilber, 17 year old Bishop Kelley High School student,
also traveled to Celle to participate in the Global Youth Art Project where students
from Celle's Sister Cities toured the local museum, discussed art and created
their own art projects to depict their discovery of Celle. Click here to Celle
trip view photos.
 Tulsa
Mayor Kathy Taylor travels to Beihai to Celebrate 20th Anniversary of Tulsa-Beihai
Sister City Partnership
Beihai, China - Tulsa
Mayor Cathy Taylor led a delegation to Beihai, China to celebrate the 20th anniversary
of our Sister City relationship on September 22. Official delegates included Mayor
Cathy Taylor, TGA Mayor's Liaison Josh Davis, TGA board member Jana Boyd, Chair
and President of TGA, Mark and Becky Collins, and TGA members Dr. Jessica Stowell
and Pageant Ferriabough. The trip included visits to two Middle schools, (high
schools), and to the orphanage. We saw many friends from past exchanges, including
the group of teachers who visited us last year. See
photos.
 Tulsa-Utsunomiya
Sister City Partnership Celebrated its15th Anniversary
with a Bon Ordor Party
The Bon Odori is a dance that is prominent at festivals
and events surrounding the Bon season that honors the dead. August is a holiday
month in Japan when many people return to their home town to visit relatives and
participate in their town’s festivities. Tulsa’s Japanese sister city
relationship was established with Utsunomiya in July 1992 with the signing of
the sister city agreement by the respective Mayors at the Sister Cities International
convention held in Tulsa. See
photos.
 Tulsa
Fire Department hosts 40 Firefighters from Celle, March 2007
Tulsa,
Oklahoma - 40 volunteer firemen from Celle, Germany, stepped off the plane in
Tulsa, for an 11-day visit with the Tulsa Fire Department. This is the third visit
between firemen. See
firemen photos.
Tulsa
celebrates its Sister Cities relationships during the "Connecting Cultures"
Sister Cities Summit
Tulsa,
Oklahoma - Approximately 100 international
delegates from Tulsa's eight Sister Cities visited Tulsa Oklahoma 22-29, 2005.
The Summit provided a wide range of opportunities for area businesses and citizens
to interact with mayors and representatives in government, business, education,
cultural and tourism. Activities included an Opening Ceremony, Mayor's Lunch,
interactive business, government and educational activities. View the official
site to see photos and learn more about Tulsa's international connections.
Tulsa's Mounted Police join Kaohsiung
in celebration of its new mounted patrol
KAOHSIUNG, TAIWAN
- On July 9, Kaohsiung, Tulsa's Sister City since 1980, formed a new mounted police
unit and invited officers from Tulsa's Mounted Patrol Unit to share in the celebration.
Tulsa was one of five units invited from Kaohsiung's 11 Sister Cities. TPD Sergeant
Dave Davis and officers Lori Mullin, Gregory Evans and Brian Williams partook
in the official ceremony and rode in a parade alongside Kaohsiung and its other
Sister City mounted police officers. Student
exchanges vital to promoting global awareness
Student exchange programs are increasingly important in today’s society.
Not only do they allow students to improve their foreign language studies by experiencing
a different country firsthand, traveling abroad helps to eliminate the differences
that divide a world and enrich the similarities that unite.
In May 2005,
a group of Booker T. Washington Students traveled to Zelenograd, Russia, with
BTW Russian teacher Gwen Palace and BTW Principal Dr. Debi Boyles to participate
in an exchange program with School #1150. The exchange was extremely successful,
according to Boyles, to the point that during the visit, BTW and School #1150
shook hands in accord to continue their relationship.
“In fact,
a treaty between the two schools promoting an on-going educational and cultural
exchange program that will promote mutual cooperation and friendship between the
countries is being written,” said Boyles. “This treaty will help insure
an on-going commitment to our relationship.”
The Zelenograd Education
Center wrote in a past article on their website: “work on this project [exchange
program] has been conducted at School #1150 for the past ten years and has yielded
excellent results.”
It began in 1995, when Bob Lieser, who was teaching
English at the YWCA Intercultural Service, was invited to Zelenograd to teach
at School #1150 for three months. In exchange, in 1996, Zelenograd sent one of
its teachers to Tulsa to teach for six weeks at various Tulsa Public Schools,
including BTW and Wilson Middle School. The following year, Gwen Palace, who taught
at Wilson Middle School at the time, took a group of students to Zelenograd, which
was in turn matched with a visit to Tulsa by Zelenograd students. Last year, School
#1150 students visited Tulsa during Kids’ World 2004 and also attended BTW
classes. The May 2005 trip by BTW students was the reciprocal visit.
Boyles
is grateful for the opportunity to strengthen the Sister City relationship between
Zelenograd and Tulsa by being a part of the exchange between School #1150 and
BTW.
“The experiences were valuable to me as a BTW administrator
where we cultivate internationalism and respect for other cultures,” Boyles
said in a letter to Tulsa Global Alliance.  Utsunomiya
Student Exchange Trips
Forty-five exchange
students, ranging in grade from middle school to college, from Utsunomiya, visted
Tulsa schools and universities March 28-April 4, 2005. Students stayed with host
families and attended Tulsa schools and universities, as well as experienced American
family life. In June 2005, five students from Centennial Middle School, Tulsa
School of Arts and Sciences and Union, traveled to Utsunomiya for a reciprocal
visit. They attended schools, stayed with host families and participated in several
cultural activities.
BTW
Students travel to Beihai, China
A delegation from Booker T. Washington
High School visited Beihai, China, from November 27-December 21, 2004. The visit
is part of an exchange program between BTW and Beihai Middle School that began
in 2002. This will be the third BTW delegation to visit Beihai. During their visit,
the students will live with host families and attend Chinese lessons at school.
They also will visit a Yao minority village outside Beihai and help build a playground
at the Beihai Orphanage. The playground is provided by Packages of Hope.
The school delegation will take part in the Fourth Beihai Pearl Festival December
17-19, when the BTW Principal Dr. Debi Boyles will join them in Beihai, along
with Brian Cleavelin, Megan Gaspar, Ellen Kay Miller and Ira Phillips. Russian
Exchange Students Visit Kids’ World
Tulsa hosted a delegation of five students and one teacher from School
#1150 in Zelenograd, Russia, October 31 to November 10. Students
lived with Booker T. Washington High School students and their families and volunteered
at Kids’ World. They had the opportunity to speak to Russian language classes
at BTW and Edison and take part in election day activities. Cultural events included
visiting museums in Oklahoma City, watching a Tulsa Oilers hockey game, bowling
and horseback riding. This
was the first visit by a delegation of public school students from Zelenograd
since 1997 Mayor
LaFortune visits Celle, Germany
Tulsa Mayor Bill LaFortune led a delegation to Celle, Germany in September
for a series of economic and cultural meetings to further the relationship between
Tulsa and Celle. Lord
Mayor Martin Biermann invited LaFortune to sign the "Golden Book" of
the city. The official entry in the "Goldenes Buch der Stadt Celle"
(golden guest book of Celle) requires the approval of the city council, and Mayor
LaFortune is the first mayor of Celle's sister cities who has been granted the
privilege. A copy of the entry can be viewed on www.tulsaglobalalliance.org. Meetings
were held with executives from Lufthansa Technik (Hamburg), Baker Hughes (Celle),
Chamber of Commerce in Celle, Celle Tourism Office and other local business leaders.
Cultural activities included the Hengstparade (Parade of Stallions), tour of Celle
and Celle's castle, a reception at City Hall and a visit to Celle's Congress Union
and Bomann Museum. LaFortune
and the delegation attended the official dedication ceremony of Tulsastrasse (Tulsa
Street), located in a new Celle housing development. Other
members of the delegation were Mickey Thompson (then Senior Vice President, Tulsa
Metro Chamber), Priscilla Harris (Vice Chair Sister Cities, Tulsa Global Alliance),
Wolfgang Becker (immediate past president of the Tulsa Celle Partnership) and
Silke Becker, Sylvia Couch and Barbara Conrad. |
