One year ago, in October 2013, 10 adventurous German students, guided by their two chaperones, arrived in the Prescott area from the newly established Prescott-Zeitz Sister City. Some had never been to the United States; most had never been to Arizona and none had ever been to the Prescott area. They were pretty quiet and shy those first few days but rapidly settled in with host families (Bradshaw Mountain High School parents), exploring cultural attractions, visiting the Grand Canyon and even a tour of the Arizona State Capital. They spent two weeks attending classes at Bradshaw Mountain High School and for some, going to their very first football game. The end of the 2.5 weeks resulted in hugs and tears and goodbyes, and even today, Facebook messages, emails and gifts between families continue. Bradshaw Mountain High School sent two of their students and two chaperones to Zeitz, Saxony Anhalt Germany in June 2014 to repeat the life-changing bonding experience for their students.
In September 2012, the Declaration of Will was established between the City of Prescott and City of Zeitz, which is the first step in creating a Sister City Partnership. The essential component, agreed upon by all parties, was to establish a student exchange program between area schools in the Prescott and Zeitz regions. The idea of launching a program within a year seemed like a daunting, next-to-impossible task. And it was. Hundreds of hours of volunteer time, fundraising, asking for donations and sponsors, teacher and staff time, educational and programming logistics and the most welcoming response of host families to open their homes to strangers, soon to become family. Not only has this been an unforgettable experience for the students, lifetime international friendships have been forged between teachers, principals, volunteers, business leaders, elected officials, moms, dads and siblings.
By May 2014, all the final Sister City Partnership documents were signed by both cities, establishing the formal, long-term arrangement as international partners, connecting citizens, students, businesses and civic organizations together through various programs and projects. Bob Greninger, who serves on the Executive Board of Directors for Sister Cities International, shared his thoughts, “The now two-year old Sister City affiliation between Prescott and Zeitz was created with the hard work of Margo Christensen, Chris Kuknyo and the enthusiastic Prescott-Zeitz Committee members. Without the strong, effective leadership of Margo and Chris, the success the Sister City relationship enjoys would not have been reached. We have already seen the wonderful relationships developed between our local students and their German counterparts and we have seen a many-fold increase in tourists from Germany. With the future expansion of these programs, these ties will grow stronger, becoming even more successful. Over the years, I have been involved in the development of a number of Sister City programs. From my experience, the dedication and organization of the members of this committee helped it reach its current, solid achievements. The future of this program looks bright and is an asset to the entire Prescott area.”
Plans are well underway for the 2015 Student Exchange, with Zeitz students arriving the Prescott area approximately March 15 and Bradshaw students departing for Zeitz about June 6. Both exchanges will be about 20 days and each exchange has a goal to include a minimum of 10 students and two chaperones, a goal solely reliant on donations, sponsors and fundraising activities in both cities. While expenses are minimal at the host destination, the airline travel will likely run in the range of $1,500 – $1,700, a challenge for almost all families in both cities. “As the principal of Bradshaw Mountain,” said Kort Minor, “I cannot think of a better way for our students to experience a different culture than the Prescott-Zeitz Sister City exchange program. This gives our students an opportunity to host a German student and/or go to Germany. Our teachers and text books are great but this experience is irreplaceable both academically and in terms of memories.”
The Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce made welcome bags for the inbound students in 2013. Prescott Valley Chamber CEO Marnie Uhl said, “I am so pleased to see Bradshaw Mountain High School (Go Bears!)’s support and participate in hosting the Zeitz students. This is a wonderful cultural opportunity for our students and for our community. We at the Prescott Valley Chamber look forward to welcoming another group in 2015.”
In addition to the successful first year of the student exchange program, the first-ever foreign language brochure for the Prescott area has been printed in German. Wide distribution of this brochure in Germany will take place for the remainder of 2014 and can also be viewed at www.visit-prescott.com/german. The tourism connection between Germany and Arizona is very strong, particularly in Arizona destinations that have deep roots in Native American or western history and culture. The Prescott area is ideal for welcoming German visitors who love the Southwest and are interested in the museums, cultural attractions and events, outdoor recreation and the true west experience this area has to offer.
A Sister City Partnership opens so many doors for international educational, cultural, business and tourism opportunities without the use of taxpayer dollars. QCBN
For more information about the Prescott-Zeitz Partnership or to become involved in the future, contact Margo Christensen at margo@ponderosahotels.com or 928-925-6593.
Margo Christensen is vice president of marketing and public relations for the Prescott Marriott Hotels (SpringHill Suites and Residence Inn) and is the chairperson for the Prescott-Zeitz Sister City Committee.
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