This summer, Sister Cities of Nashville sent students and teacher chaperones representing 13 area public and private area high schools to three of its sister cities on three continents: Caen, France; Mendoza, Argentina; and Taiyuan, China. The Student Ambassador program remains a hallmark of Nashville’s programming, providing students – many who have never traveled out of the country before – a truly life-changing experience as they are home hosted by families in our sister cities.
Student ambassadors to Caen, France were in attendance for the 75th anniversary of D-Day and got to witness the ceremonies and celebrations to commemorate such a tragic and meaningful day in the history of Normandy and the world. Paratroopers in their 90’s performed jumps to commemorate the jumps they made on those same beaches during WWII and the student delegates were able to even try some flying of their own. Together with their hosts, students also visited Mont St. Michel, one of the seven modern wonders of the world, Bayeux, Honfleur and Deauville. They capped off their exchange with two days of sightseeing in Paris.
Student ambassadors to Mendoza, Argentina spent their week bonding with students and at ICEI, the Nashville student exchange partnership school. During their time in Mendoza the students went ziplining in the foothills of the Andes Mountains and rolled down the magnificent Altos Limpios sand dunes. They made traditional empanadas and learned about the history of Mendoza as they visited the monument honoring General San Martin, perched atop a hill in Mendoza. This exchange to the southern hemisphere always offers great adventures for our students.
Student ambassadors to Taiyuan, China began their time in Beijing and toured sites including the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven and Tiananmen Square. They climbed the steep steps of the Great Wall and enjoyed some great photo opportunities. From Beijing they took a train to Taiyuan and were met with enthusiasm by their host families whose students attend Yuying High School. They had the good fortune of being in Taiyuan on the Dragon Festival holiday. They were able to experience the holiday traditions with their host family – from making dumplings to special paper cutting. They visited Jinci Temple and Pingyao ancient city and even had a Kung Fu master give them a class in this ancient art.
This exchange summer with Sister Cities of Nashville was full of many adventures, but the most important take-aways for our student ambassadors were the relationships they formed in the countries they visited and the amazing host families who made their experiences meaningful.
Student ambassadors to Caen, France were in attendance for the 75th anniversary of D-Day and got to witness the ceremonies and celebrations to commemorate such a tragic and meaningful day in the history of Normandy and the world. Paratroopers in their 90’s performed jumps to commemorate the jumps they made on those same beaches during WWII and the student delegates were able to even try some flying of their own. Together with their hosts, students also visited Mont St. Michel, one of the seven modern wonders of the world, Bayeux, Honfleur and Deauville. They capped off their exchange with two days of sightseeing in Paris.
Student ambassadors to Mendoza, Argentina spent their week bonding with students and at ICEI, the Nashville student exchange partnership school. During their time in Mendoza the students went ziplining in the foothills of the Andes Mountains and rolled down the magnificent Altos Limpios sand dunes. They made traditional empanadas and learned about the history of Mendoza as they visited the monument honoring General San Martin, perched atop a hill in Mendoza. This exchange to the southern hemisphere always offers great adventures for our students.
Student ambassadors to Taiyuan, China began their time in Beijing and toured sites including the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven and Tiananmen Square. They climbed the steep steps of the Great Wall and enjoyed some great photo opportunities. From Beijing they took a train to Taiyuan and were met with enthusiasm by their host families whose students attend Yuying High School. They had the good fortune of being in Taiyuan on the Dragon Festival holiday. They were able to experience the holiday traditions with their host family – from making dumplings to special paper cutting. They visited Jinci Temple and Pingyao ancient city and even had a Kung Fu master give them a class in this ancient art.
This exchange summer with Sister Cities of Nashville was full of many adventures, but the most important take-aways for our student ambassadors were the relationships they formed in the countries they visited and the amazing host families who made their experiences meaningful.
RSS Feed