Gilbert Sister Cities Announces Student Winners

GILBERT, Ariz. - March 2, 2014 - PRLog -- Gilbert Sister Cities announces this year’s winners of its annual high school youth exchange to Leshan, China and Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland.

The high school youth exchange program offers juniors in high school who reside in Gilbert or are a student in a Gilbert or Higley school, an opportunity to develop an understanding of different countries, their cultures and people. The high school delegates are chosen by a committee through a selection process, which includes group interviews, a series of individual interviews and informal gatherings with both the students and their parents. The students travel to our sister city for approximately three weeks. During their stay they will have a chance to closely experience a new culture and make lifelong friends by living with the family of their exchange “brother or sister.” The home hosted experience makes it possible for the delegates to learn about their host cultures and customs in ways not available to a casual visitor. The Gilbert delegates will bring back a wealth of fascinating stories about their stay abroad, their contacts with the people and the precious experiences, which teach them lifelong lessons.

This year Curtis Lunt from Highland High School and Peyton Mahoney from Gilbert Classical Academy will be visiting China.  Kathryn Cuiffo from Highland High School and Emma Jean Helvig from Gilbert High School will be visiting Northern Ireland.

Gilbert Sister Cities is a community supported, non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to promoting cultural understanding and stimulating economic development opportunities for the youth, adults, businesses and organizations of the Town of Gilbert through mutually beneficial international partnerships.