Hood River–Tsuruta Sister City Program Celebrates the Return of Student Exchanges
The sister city partnership between Hood River and Tsuruta, Japan, is renewing its student exchange program following a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the 2023-2024 school year, Hood River Valley High School welcomed a sophomore student from Tsuruta, and a group of middle school students from Tsuruta will visit Hood River in March.
In October, a new student exchange agreement was signed between the Hood River County School District, and Tsuruta’s new Goshogawara Commercial High School, which will be renamed to Shimoyama Gakuen High School next year.
During the document signing ceremony at Hood River Valley High School, representatives from the Hood River County School District, the Sister City Program, and the City of Hood River met with a five-member delegation representing Tsuruta and its regional schools. A 20th Century World History class listened as Superintendent Bill Newton acknowledged the importance and value of cultural exchange. Tsuruta’s Mayor Masamitsu Aikawa’s speech highlighted the 1,877 students and city officials who have participated in the inter-cultural exchange. The document signing ceremony is an example of the extraordinary efforts made by representatives from Tsuruta to maintain the exchange program. The representatives spent less than 24 hours in Hood River during this visit, which also included a dinner with Mayor Blackburn.
The Hood River-Tsuruta Sister City Program began in May of 1977 to promote friendship and cultural understanding between residents of the two communities. Historically, elected officials and other delegates from Hood River and Tsuruta have enjoyed exchanges in five-year intervals. Although the pandemic interfered with the 45th anniversary exchange in 2022, the Sister City Program is looking forward to the 50th anniversary.
To learn more about the Hood River-Tsuruta Sister City Program, visit: hoodriversistercity.org.
Information about the Sister City Program’s annual college scholarship is available through the Hood River County Education Foundation: eschol.hrcef.org/hood-river-tsuruta-sister-city-scholarship
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