Columbia Association Seeks Reflections of Sister Cities Summer Exchange Alumni

Columbia Association (CA) wants to hear from the hundreds who have traveled to Columbia’s sister cities of Cergy-Pontoise, France, and Tres Cantos, Spain, as part of CA’s longstanding summer student exchange program.

Cergy-Pontoise was established as Columbia’s first sister city in 1977 with Tres Cantos added in 1990; this year marks the 25th anniversary of that relationship. Every summer, students from Howard County spend two weeks in one of those communities before returning home and hosting their European counterparts.

Alumni of all ages who participated in the student exchanges are encouraged to submit written memories or other accounts on the impact that the program had on their lives, and/or they can choose to be interviewed about their experiences on video. These writings and interviews will be compiled on CA’s website and in a video about the sister cities student exchanges.

“These students were impressionable teenagers who were able to immerse themselves in other cultures,” said Laura Smit, program manager for CA’s International Exchange and Multicultural Programs. “They made new friends and maintained those relationships. They saw the world, and their own country, from another perspective. They improved their French or Spanish language skills. And they grew as people. We would love to hear more about how the Sister Cities student exchange program changed their lives.”

Those interested in participating may contact Laura Smit by calling 410-715-3162 or sending an email to International@ColumbiaAssociation.org.

CA added a third sister city, Tema, Ghana, in 2014 and is in the process of expanding that relationship. CA is also exploring the possibility of a sister city relationship between Columbia, Maryland, and the coastal community of Cap-Haitien in Haiti.

CA’s International Exchange and Multicultural Programs foster international understanding and celebrate the diverse cultures of Columbia. The goals of the International Exchange Program include developing new exchanges with Columbia’s three sister cities, and creating new Sister City relationships in other cities and nations. CA also develops multicultural programs for the community such as the World Languages Café, Culture Fests, the International Book Club and a new World Food Passport program that began in March. Learn more online at ColumbiaAssociation.org/Multicultural.

About Columbia Association

Columbia Association (CA) is a nonprofit service corporation that manages Columbia, MD, a planned community that is home to approximately 100,000 people and several thousand businesses. Additional information about CA is available at ColumbiaAssociation.org.