Sister-School Set Up in Turkmenistan After Visit

David Nurenberg had never heard of Turkmenistan a couple of years ago when he read that the U.S. Department of State wanted to send a small delegation of teachers to the former Soviet republic to talk about education with Turkmen counterparts.

Fast forward to 2010, and Nurenberg gave a presentation to the Regional School Committee about a week-long expedition he went on with others from Concord-Carlisle High School about two months ago.

Now he is learning to speak Turkmen and is hoping to return with some students during the February 2011 break, as well as host some students from the country that borders the Caspian Sea.

He is "urgently soliciting host families" for one boy and one girl due to arrive in late August for the fall semester.

Nurenberg arranged a sister-school relationship with Balkanabat School #17  as part of the future exchange program.

"As far as we know this is the only high school level sister-school relationship between our two countries in the entire USA," Nurenberg wrote in his site: http://misternurenberg.blogspot.com/

He said the State Department funded the teachers' trip last February, and the start of the trip was noted for two days of snow falling in the desert environment.

Ten teachers flew to Balkanabat Province for "an historic summit on education," said Nurenberg.

"The snowfall was unprecedented" as was the visit, he said.

"It was ground-breaking," said Nurenberg, who is a newly-minted PhD faculty member at CCHS. Three teachers from Charlestown accompanied the seven CCHS faculty for the trip hosted by the Turkmen government.

The regional committee voted to approve a plan for a sister-school student exchange between Balkanabat School #17 and CCHS this fall. Nurenberg said any parents wanting to host or entertain a Turkmen student should contact him directly at dnurenberg@colonial.net.

Nurenberg showed a video that can be viewed online at http://concordcarlisle.net/