Learning Beyond San Carlos' Borders: Student Exchange Program (Part 1)

High school students from the San Carlos and surrounding communities have a tough decision to make this summer – Ōmura or Metepec? The San Carlos Sister City (SCSC) Student Exchange Program, now in its second year, is accepting applications from local high schools for an opportunity to study in Ōmura, Japan or Metepec, Mexico this summer.

SCSC Association President Leonor Urbain is excited about the program’s newly-formed partnerships with the two cities in Japan and Mexico.

“I cannot tell you enough how [much of] a gift it is to be bilingual, to be bicultural; to understand other cultures just by being there and understanding what they are saying,” said Urbain.

Last summer, the San Carlos Sister City Association set up a pilot program, partnering with Ōmura, Japan, in an effort to launch its first-ever Student Exchange Program. One male and one female student visited San Carlos for two weeks and thoroughly enjoyed the trip. According to who has been a member of the Sister City Association for decades and has seen its continuity and expansion over the years, the female student mentioned her visit to California through the program was “the best thing that has happened to her in her life thus far.” 

The San Carlos Sister City Association is just one of numerous Sister City Associations throughout California and throughout the world.

Formed in 1956 during Dwight D. Eisenhower’s presidency, Sister Cities International works “to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation – one individual, one community at a time,” according to its official website. Under those tenets, the San Carlos Sister City Association has been working toward making those goals a reality through various initiatives, including scholarships for students who want to learn a foreign language and grants for teachers who are creating curriculum with an international focus. 

The Student Exchange Program is its most recent endeavor to promote the mission of Sister Cities International.

High school students from Menlo Park to San Mateo are eligible for the program. The deadline to apply for this summer's program is May 1. For more information,

For more information about the trip to Ōmura, contact John Hoffmann at johnjhoffmann@comcast.net or 650-595-3933. For more information about the trip to Metepec, contact Leonor Urbain at lurbain@comcast.net or 650-594-1632.

Tomorrow: The experience of a lifetime in Ōmura, Japan and Metepec, Mexico

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