WASHINGTON, DC – Tempe, Arizona Sister Cities has been named as one of three recipients of the U.S. State Department’s annual 2020 Citizen Diplomacy award. Headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, the organization was selected out of a record 22 nomination this year. Awards are presented to one winner and two runner up positions.   “Sister Cities has been one of our nominating partners since day one. Tempe Sister Cities stood out for their creative youth programs and teacher exchanges,” said a State Department spokesperson.  The Citizen Diplomacy Award was created to celebrate the significant, beneficial contributions of U.S. citizens and organizations to […]

In the photo, from left to right: First Emeritus member: Honorable Harry Mitchell, Treasurer: Pete Ewen, Parliamentarian: Paul Sheard, Assistant Treasurer: Zak Scott, President: David Carrera, Secretary: Kathy Schreiner, 2nd Vice President: Larry West, 1st Vice President: Dean Gambino Ten years ago I became involved in Tempe Sister Cities when we made a donation to a delegate going to Carlow, Ireland. Two years later we were preparing our oldest daughter, Milena, for her experience in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. Three years after that we were packing our youngest daughter, Eliana, for the trip of her life also to Lower Hutt. […]

Traveling to New Zealand this past summer was a life changing experience that I will never forget. New Zealand is a beautiful and unique country filled with some of the nicest people I have ever met. I met so many wonderful people and had so many amazing experiences there that it is hard for me to choose only a few to write about! However, as a social studies teacher, I was most interested in just experiencing the culture of the country and the history of the islands. I wanted to experience the food, the language, the customs, the history, politics, […]

Alisa Gains a Loving Family in Sweden Being a part of the 2019 Educator Exchange program, I really wasn’t sure what to expect, but looking back, I see that it was much more than I had ever expected it would be. It all began the moment Jeffrey Shores and I arrived in Sweden, as my host Jessica Olofsson and Jeffrey’s host Johanna Soderblom were waiting for us in the airport with huge smiles. When I arrived at Jessica’s house, her husband Erick and son Love were ready to welcome me and gave me the tour of what would be my […]

In 1986, Tempe Sister Cities took possession of the Hackett House which was restored and is owned by the City of Tempe. Tempe Sister Cities, under the guidance of Jane Neuheisel, won a bid to the city for a plan to use the original bakery, and later home of Estelle Hackett, as a cooking school, gathering place, and educational venue. Preparation began for repurposing Tempe’s former bakery with a new paint job, wallpaper, sanded floors, and new cupboards. Around 1988, in honor of the former bakery and of our new Sister City in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, the Hackett House […]