Highlights

Norfolk Sister City Association Programs and Events 2009-2020

 

Kitakyushu, Japan (1959)……………………………….……….……….……………Marguerite Inscoe, Chair

  • Official delegation from Kitakyushu with City Reception and tree planting at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens honoring the 50th Anniversary of the Kitakyushu Twinning, June 2009
  • Official out-bound program to Kitakyushu with Mayor Fraim leading the delegation, honoring the 50th Anniversary of the Kitakyushu Twinning,  July 31-August 1, 2009
  • Official out-bound “Voices of Virginia” Governors School for the Arts exchange , September 2009
  • Official out-bound youth exchange to Kitakyushu, July 5-13, 2010
  • Planning  for Zoo Exchanges to begin between Kitakyushu and  the Virginia Zoo in 2012
  • Japan Relief Fund Raising Event during Harborfest 2011
  • Host Japanese Naval Officers at an “American” cookout, August 4, 2011
  • 2012 Youth Summit, inbound youth delegation from Kitakyushu
  • November 2012, Governors School of Arts, Voices of VA outbound to Kitakyushu
  • June-July 2-15, 2015 a delegation of eleven students and two chaperones travel outbound to Kitakyushu
  • February 2017 a delegation of ten university students came to Old Dominion University for a thirty-day English language immersion program.  These students delivered a YCG program to 3rd and 8th grade students at the Academy of Discovery at Lakewood
  • October-November 2017 students from the Governors School of the Arts were outbound to Kitakyushu for two weeks. NSCA provided a scholarship for two NPS students
  • July 2019– 60th anniversary celebration included a visit from the Mayor of Kitakyushu; rededication ceremony at Botanical Garden; 14-member student delegation with Young Global Citizens program
  • October 2019– November continues 60th celebration with Governor’s School for the Arts outbound delegation (we provided three scholarships) and official visit by Norfolk City Councilwoman Mamie Johnson
  • February 2020 – supported a delegation of 14 university students their professor in partnership with Old Dominion University. The students were in Norfolk for four weeks, departing March 6.

Wilhelmshaven, Germany (1976)………………..…………..…Markus Wegener, Chair

  • Official in-bound student exchange from Wilhelmshaven, Germany, July 1-August 2, 2009
  • General membership Picnic honoring students, July 16, 2009
  • Official out-bound student exchange, July 10- August 2, 2010
  • Staffed Wilhelmshaven –Norfolk Sister City House, TBA Homearama East Beach, Norfolk, October 16-31, 2010
  • Official in-bound student exchange, July 22- August 12, 2011
  • Joint Wilhelmshaven/Membership Event aboard American Rover, August 7, 2011
  • April 28, 2012 Tanz den Mai, partnership with VAF, International Tattoo- Hullaballoo
  • December 2012, Wilhelmshaven to host membership holiday social
  • July – August 2015 fifteen students and two chaperones inbound from Wilhelmshaven
  • June – July 2016 nine students and one chaperone outbound
  • July 2017 fifteen students, the chaperone and his family inbound for three weeks
  • July 2017 the students provided a YGC program at the Southside STEM Academy at Campostella
  • April 2018 supported the German booth at NATO Festival 
  • July 2018 nine students and a chaperone were outbound for a three-week exchange
  • November 2018 participated in the International Fair at the Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • July 2019 hosted inbound student delegation totaling 13 high school students plus the chaperone and his family
  • July 2019 exchange students provided a Young Global Citizens program for summer school students at Richard Bowling Elementary
  • November 2019 participated in international fair at Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • Summer 2020 outbound exchange was canceled due to COVID-19

Norfolk County, England (1986)……………………………………………………………. Meriel Burgess Wright, Chair

  • Thirty member Youth Choral Group (Cantabile) from West Norfolk , England concert tour, April 6-15, 2009
  • “Pub Night” for membership and friends at Abbey Road Restaurant in Virginia Beach, March 4, 2010
  • Part  I of 25th Anniversary  Celebration  between Norfolk England –Norfolk, VA relations featuring  large in-bound delegation of governmental  and gardening expects from all seven districts of Norfolk, England, April 16-24,2011
  • Formal dinner cosponsored with City of Norfolk celebrating 25 years of twinning and honoring  past governmental and civic officials April 17, 2011
  • Part II of 25th Anniversary  Celebrations  between Norfolk England –Norfolk, VA featuring  in-bound delegation of  governmental  and gardening expert  in conjunction the Virginia Rose Show, October 2-9, 2011
  • Hosted the annual Summer Membership Social at Norfolk Botanical Gardens in June 2016
  • September 2017 hosted British Trivia night at O’Connor Brewing
  • November 2018 participated in the International Fair at the Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • December 2018 hosted the Annual Membership Meeting and Holiday Celebration 
  • November 2019 participated in international fair at Academy of International Studies at Rosemont

Toulon, France (1989)……………………………………………………..………..……………Open, Chair

  • Official adult in-bound exchange from Toulon, France during the 2009 International Azalea Festival
  • Official City of Norfolk Reception honoring a 20th year celebration at the Chrysler Museum of Art, May 2009
  • Official adult out-bound exchange to Toulon, France as part of the 20 year celebration of friendship between the sister cities, June 30-July 7, 2009
  • Official student in-bound exchange of “English Contest Winners” from Toulon, France, July 7-July 23, 2009
  • General Membership Picnic honoring students from Toulon, France, July 16, 2009
  • Partnership with NATO festival honoring France as the 2010 Most Honored Nation
  • Wine tasting ceremony co-sponsored by Alliance Française, April 26, 2010
  • Organized  host families for 40 French performers who participated in Norfolk’s  2010 NATO Festival
  • Support of Toulon/Norfolk Architectural Sketchbook and Exhibit, April 25, 2010
  • Official in-bound student exchange of “English Contest Winners” from Toulon, France, July 2010 and 2011
  • Soiree Toulonnaise with Alliance Française, Celebrating Culture of Toulon, October 28, 2011
  • February  2012- Marti Gras Celebration
  • July 2012 Toulon Youth Inbound
  • July 14, 2012 Bastille Day Celebration
  • September 9, 2012  La Renitree Picnic
  • November 16, 2012 Beaujolais Nouveau
  • July 2015 Toulon exchange – five inbound and four returned outbound
  • August 13, 2015 Soiree en Blanc held on the grounds of the Virginia Arts Festival courtyard
  • September 2015 outbound delegation of twenty-two adults to Toulon
  • August 2016 Soiree en Blanc held on the grounds of the Fred Heutte Center
  • September 2016 hosted Anita Millot, President, France Etats-Unis
  • July 2017 hosted three inbound students
  • August 2017 Soiree en Blanc held at the home of the Hardee Family
  • March 2018 sponsored the Concours Awards Reception in partnership with Alliance Française
  • July 2018 three students were outbound for a two-week exchange
  • August 2018 Soiree en Blanc was held at the Hermitage Museum & Gardens
  • June 2019 hosted two students for a two-week inbound exchange
  • August 2019 Soiree en Blanc held at Norfolk Botanical Garden
  • November 2019 participated in international fair at Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • Summer 2020 outbound exchange was canceled due to COVID-19
  • August 2020 Soiree en Blanc canceled due to COVID-19
  • October 2020 inbound adult delegation canceled due to COVID-19
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Kaliningrad, Russia (1992)………………….…………………………….………………….Luba Seliavski, Chair

  • Open World Program 2009: Norfolk hosted a Russian Judicial Delegation from the Ukraine, Sept. 26-Oct. 3, 2009
  • Open World Welcome Dinner with membership and legal community  at the Norfolk Yacht & Country Club, September 27, 2009
  • Open World Program 2010: Norfolk hosted a Georgian Judicial delegation, October 30-November  6, 2010
  •  Open World Welcome Dinner with membership and legal community  at the Norfolk Yacht & Country Club, October 31, 2010
  • Open World Program 2011: Norfolk hosted a Russian Judicial Delegation from Penza , March 26-April 2, 2011
  • Dinner honoring Russian Delegation and Judge Henry Morgan’s 10 years of participation in OWP Rule of Law with large participation from legal community, March 28, 2011.
  • Open World Program 2011: November- Accountable Governance Delegation from Kaliningrad
  • April 21-29, 2012, Open World Program- Rule of Law delegation from Kaliningrad
  • October 2012, Open World Program- Higher Education
  • April 2015 Open World Program
  • December 2015 – hosted Annual Membership Meeting at the Chrysler Museum with a focus on the Saints and Dragons exhibit
  • October 2016. Open World Program – six member delegation of journalists from Yaroslavl, Russia
  • February 2017 Delivered a YGC program at the Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • October 2017 Open World Program hosted a delegation of Armenian lawyers·  
  • April 2018 Open World Leadership Center delegation from Ukraine on Best Practices in Veterans Affairs
  • May 2018 Victory Day celebration with Russian Speaking Community of Hampton Roads
  • November 2018 participated in the International Fair at the Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • November 2018 Open World Leadership Center delegation from Russia on Best Practices in Municipal Government
  • October 2019 hosted our first Rumsfeld Fellows delegation
  • February 2020 YGC Program at Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • March 2020 Open World Rule of Law inbound delegation canceled due to COVID-19

Halifax, Canada (2006)……………………………………………………………………………Open, Chair

  • Facilitating exchange between Hampton Roads Partnership and the Grater Halifax Partnership
  • Official out-bound adult delegation to Halifax celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Canadian Navy, July 2010
  • Economic Inbound Delegation, September  21-26, 2010
  • Tourism Inbound Delegation, October 13-15, 2010
  •  June 7-11, 2012 Halifax delegation to visit Norfolk, during  OPSail 2012
  • July 19-23, 2012 Norfolk outbound to Halifax
  • July 2015 Nova Voce, Nova Scotia’s Provincial Men’s Choir tours Norfolk
  • September 2015 reception held about the HMCS Halifax – focus is economic development
  • November 2019 participated in the international fair at Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • December 2019 hosted Annual Membership Meeting

Cagayán de Oro, Philippines (2008)……………………………………………….………Raylene Baumgart, Chair

  •  Fund raising for Student Scholarship Fund for travel to Cagayan de Oro, January 2009
  • Commissioned artist to create a Norfolk Mermaid to be sent to Cagayan de Oro, 2009
  •  “Golden Lady” Mermaid sent  to Cagayan de Oro November, 2010
  • Membership Event featuring Food and Culture of the Philippines, November 18, 2010
  • Cagayan de Oro Holiday social sharing Christmas traditions of the Philippines, December 8,2011
  • Fundraising for Cagayan de Oro Relief for Flood Victims, featuring singer Stephanie Reese,   January 19, 2012
  • March 2012 Official out-bound delegation postponed to Fall 2012 due to flooding disaster relief efforts
  • October 2012  Filipino Dance Company performance
  • November 2014 Safer River Piano Concert
  • May 2016 Tem member delegation came for two weeks – focus was education
  • May 2016 provided a YGC program for students at the Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • March 2017 Outbound delegation to Cagayan de Oro to participate in 75th anniversary of MacArthur’s retreat from the Philippines
  • June 2017 Hosted the Summer Membership Social
  • July 2018 Six students and one chaperone inbound for our first two-week exchange
  • July 2018 Exchange students provided a YGC program at the Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • November 2018 participated in the International Fair at the Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • November 2019 participated in international fair at Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • June 2020 assisted in the development and delivery of a webinar on best practices in k-12 distance learning – in partnership with private schools association in Cagayan de Oro
  • Summer 2020 outbound student exchange canceled due to COVID-19

Kochi, India  (2010)………………………………………………………………..……Ann Schwarz-Miller, Chair

  • Official out-bound delegation to Kochi for Official Twinning Ceremony, September  4, 2010
  • Physicians for Peace and EVMS send  students to Kochi, Summer 2011
  • Official in-bound delegation to Kochi for Twinning Celebration in Norfolk 2011, September  10-18, 2011
  • Gala Dinner Co-sponsored by City of Norfolk, celebrating Kochi, India and Norfolk’s twinning, September 2011
  • India Fest Honoree celebrating  NSCA’s sister city Kochi, September 17, 2011
  • 2012  Environmental Summit planning
  • January 2015 Economic Development outbound visit to Kochi
  • October 2016 provided a YGC program for the Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • December 2016 hosted the Winter Membership Social
  • September 2017 Commissioned a Norfolk Mermaid to be sent to Kochi in 2018
  • April 2018 delivered a YGC program at the Academy of International Studies at Rosemont 
  • June 2018 hosted the Summer Membership Social at the Slover
  • September shipped as Norfolk Mermaid to Kochi
  • November 2018 participated in the International Fair at the Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • June 2019 YGC program at Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • June 2019 special Kathakali (classical Indian dance) program with special guest lecturer at Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • November 2019 participated in international fair at Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • January 2020 YGC program at Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • Fall 2020 outbound adult delegation canceled due to COVID-19

·   Tema, Ghana (2010)………………………………………………………..…………Abena Aforo, Chair

  • Official in-bound delegation from Tema, Ghana for Twinning Ceremony, Nov. 29-Dec.  4, 2010
  • Trade, Business, Educational , Green Technologies and Community Symposia,  2010
  • City-wide Twinning Ceremony, the Waterside –December 1, 2010
  • Co-sponsorship of official twinning dinner with City of Norfolk, December 1, 2010
  • Summer 2012 Outbound delegation to Tema
  • February 2015 – textbook drive completed and books sent to schools in Tema
  • March 2016 Experience Ghana
  • February 2017 Inbound Trade Delegation
  • March 2017 Experience Ghana
  • June 2017 YGC program delivered to students at Southside STEM Academy at Campostella
  • March 2018 Experience Ghana
  • March 2018 met with the new Director of the Tema Port Authority
  • November 2018 participated in the International Fair at the Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • February 2019 Young Global Citizens Program at Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • March 2019 hosted trade mission from Tema
  • March 2019 Experience Ghana
  • November 2019 participated in international fair at Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • February 2020 YGC program at Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • March 2020 Experience Ghana
  • Spring 2020 inbound adult delegation canceled due to COVID-19

Ningbo, China (2012)………………………………………………………………………………Harry Zhang, Chair

  • Norfolk Sister Cities’ newest sister city relationship.
  • NSCA officials traveled to Ningbo as part of a Commonwealth trade mission in April 2013 for a formal signing ceremony.
  • September 2016 – six member delegation came to discuss public and environmental health; business and secondary education
  • November 2019 participated in international fair at Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
  • March 2020 organized a Skype session for 8th grade students at Academy of International Studies at Rosemont and students age 10-16 from across China

Norfolk Sister City Association Participation In:

  • Annual International Luncheon
    • 2009: Judge John Charles Thomas, “Citizen Diplomacy”
    • 2010: Dr. James V. Koch, “International Economy and Impact on Hampton Roads”
    • 2011: Dr. L.D. Britt, “Global Health Aspects”
    • 2012: Mr. Jerry Bridges, “Maritime Industry and International Relations”
    • 2013: Ms. Mary Kane,”21st Century Sister Cities ~ Connect Globally, Thrive Locally”
    • 2014: Mr. James Cheng, “The Impact of US-China Trade Relations on Virginia”
    • 2015: Dr. Steve Yetiv
    • 2016: The Honorable Tommy Smigiel
    • 2016: 40th anniversary Peter Chapman, Deputy City Manager, City of Norfolk
    • 2017: Scott Jackson, Virginia Arts Festival
    • 2018 Roger-Mark De Souza, CEO, Sister Cities International 
    • 2019: Noelle Gabriel, Chair, Norfolk Public Schools Board
    • 2020: in person event canceled due to COVID-19
  • Sister Cities International Young Artists – Young Authors Global Showcase participant since 2009
  • ODU Film (ONFilm) Festival , March 25th-28th, 2009
  • Annual Membership Picnic, July 20th, 2009
  • Sister Cities International Conference August 2009 through 2011
  • World Quest (World Affairs Council of Greater Hampton Roads) October 2009 and 2010
  • Japan from the Outside Art Exhibit by Anna Pillow, ODU Senior, April 17th, 2010
  • Tidewater Home Builders Homearama, Norfolk East Beach, Norfolk Sister City House, October 16-31,2010
  • Membership Event Aboard the American Rover, August 7th, 2011
  • Norfolk Welcoming of Japanese  Maritime Self Defense Force, August 2-6, 2011
  • Hosted Sister Cities International Virginia State Meeting, September 23, 2011
  • First Annual -Taste of Sister Cities, October 16, 2011….
  • November 2012 Second Annual Taste of Sister Cities
  • April 2014 PassPORT to Norfolk’s Sister Cities
  • April 2015 Second Annual PassPORT Event
  • April 2016 Third Annual PassPORT to Norfolk’s Sister Cities
  • Hosted Sister Cities International Virginia State Meeting, March 31, 2017
  • April 2017 Fourth Annual PassPORT to Norfolk’s Sister Cities celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Naval Station Norfolk
  • April 2018 Fifth Annual PassPORT to Norfolk’s Sister Cities celebrating the return of Lantern Asia to Norfolk Botanical Garden
  • February 2019 served as a local partner for Walk in US Talk in Japan
  • April 2019 6th Annual PassPORT Cruising Around the World
  • October 2020 our first ever online auction