Fairfield, CA - The City of Fairfield proudly marks its enduring Sister City relationship with Nirasaki, Japan, as it celebrates 52 years of friendship in 2023. This program, which began in 1971, was founded with the noble intention of fostering an open-minded exchange of culture, goodwill, and understanding between the two cities. In 1988, the Student Exchange Program between Nirasaki and Fairfield was launched, deepening the ties of friendship and cultural exchange.
Each year, a group of Fairfield students had the opportunity to visit Nirasaki, engaging in homestays in July, while in December, it was Nirasaki students' turn to visit Fairfield. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the student exchange program had to be temporarily suspended. However, this year the exchange program is being relaunched with Nirasaki students scheduled to visit from December 1 to 14.
Anna Guiles, a City of Fairfield employee instrumental in facilitating this program, shared her thoughts, saying, "While this is a City-operated program, we have valued our ongoing partnership with FSUSD to share this opportunity with their students who are interested in participating in a cultural exchange. During the pandemic, we maintained our Sister City relationship through virtual exchanges between middle schoolers. This was a great opportunity to introduce a younger group of students to our Sister City program and begin growing an interest in other countries and languages early on."
Jacob Barrientos, a 6th grader at Green Valley Middle School, shared his enthusiasm for the upcoming exchange, saying, "The presentation by the students in Nirasaki was so well done. They took the time to make an advanced presentation and did a great job explaining their class, community, and culture."
In anticipation of the Winter Exchange, the dedicated members of the Sister City Committee have been meeting virtually every Wednesday to ensure the program's success.
Students who wish to play a more active role in the Sister City program are encouraged to volunteer for the Sister City Committee. This offers them a unique opportunity to help plan for the upcoming visit and ensure a warm welcome for the Nirasaki students. For more information and updates on the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District's involvement in the Sister City Exchange Program, please visit www.Fairfield.ca.gov/SisterCit... or email sistercity@fairfield.ca.gov