Fort Worth, Texas – City Manager David Cooke and Sister Cities Chair Johnny Campbell leading group to Germany
Fort Worth City Manager David Cooke and Fort Worth Sister Cities International Chair Johnny Campbell of Sundance Square will lead a delegation of eighteen Fort Worth Ambassadors to Trier, Germany November 30 – December 8 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the partnership as sister cities. The mission’s purpose is to build economic, cultural, and diplomatic ties between Fort Worth and Germany.
“Fort Worth is eager to recommit to this important relationship with Germany and looks forward to many more beneficial exchanges between our two cities. Our commitment to growing our educational, business, and cultural connections must remain a long-term priority for sustainability of our relationship with Trier,” said Johnny Campbell.
While there the delegation will visit local sites of interest including the famed Christkindl markets, as well as a local refugee clinic. The exchange will also include visits to Heidelberg, Cologne, and the neighboring country of Luxembourg.
The delegation is being led by Johnny Campbell, Chairman of the Board; Hannah Behrens, Trier Chair; Michael S. Hyatt, Director Emeritus; Mary Palko, Director Emerita; Mae Ferguson, President/CEO; David Cooke, City Manager; Rae Hyatt, Board of Directors; Greg Jackson, Budapest Chair; and Michael Parker, Board of Directors.
Trier was signed as Fort Worth’s second sister city. Signed in 1987, this partnership has resulted in many programs including: high school and university exchanges; partnerships with artists to participate in the Main Street Arts Festival; municipal exchanges with the Fort Worth Fire Department; internships in the Fort Worth Sister Cities’ office, as well as local law firms; cultural exchanges featuring regional cuisine and customs; and hunting expeditions into the mountains of Germany and across the plains of Texas.
Nearly 100 Fort Worth students recently completed a vigorous selection process and have been selected to represent the City of Fort Worth as Ambassadors to several of Fort Worth’s international partners.
This year’s Ambassadors represent the Fort Worth ISD, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, Everman ISD, Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD, Keller ISD, and several private schools. Scholarship assistance of over $100,000 is awarded annually ensuring a diverse group of students and teachers who will represent Fort Worth.
The Fort Worth community is invited to a presentation sponsored by Fort Worth Sister Cities International and Tarrant County College on Indonesia Today, November 10, 6:00 p.m. at Tarrant County College, Trinity River East Campus. The event is open to the public.
Twelve delegation leaders from area schools and organizations were recently selected to lead youth exchanges to six of Fort Worth’s sister cities next year. Nearly 125 local students will be interviewed for approximately 80 available slots to travel as Youth Ambassadors.
The 2016 Ambassador Middle Schools include McLean Middle, Leonard Middle, and Fort Worth Country Day School. These schools are hosting 36 students and teachers from Nagaoka, Japan October 15–23 for this annual international youth exchange program.
The goal of the Ambassador Middle School program is to prepare Fort Worth students giving them the leadership skills needed to succeed in today’s connected world. At the same time, educators are given creative teaching tools and exposure to international cultures and educational systems of other countries.
“Sister Cities works closely with the Fort Worth ISD and local private schools to give Fort Worth students the best opportunity possible to be successful in a global society,” said Johnny Campbell, Chairman of the board. 
The Japanese students will attend classes, participate in cultural activities and live with Fort Worth families from the participating schools while in Fort Worth gaining an even better understanding of Fort Worth and the U.S.A.
Fort Worth Mayor Pro Tem Sal Espino will lead a delegation of twenty Fort Worth Ambassadors to Guiyang, China June 11-19 to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the partnership as sister cities.
The exchange will consist of three nights in Guiyang, visiting local sites of interest as well as an official commemoration of the establishment of the partnership at city hall and a celebration banquet following. The exchange will also include a visit to Beijing to see the Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square, and a tour of the Forbidden City as well as a visit to Shanghai. 
The group will also include Youth Ambassadors who will be home hosted while in Guiyang. Fort Worth and Guiyang have developed a strong reciprocal youth program with students visiting each other’s cities annually. Fort Worth will be hosting fifteen Chinese students at its International Leadership Academy in July.
It is only appropriate that Mayor Betsy Price visit Fort Worth’s closest sister city Toluca, Mexico. Toluca was signed as an official partner in 1998. Mayor Price’s visit comes at the end of a DFW Airport mission trip to Mexico City where she and Dallas Mayor Rawlings are promoting the opportunities of the North Texas Region.
While in Toluca, Price will visit with Mayor Zamora, city councilors, and business leaders to discuss potential partnership opportunities and exchanges. She will also receive information on the upcoming youth and educator exchanges that will occur over the summer and discuss an upcoming Women’s Symposia co-sponsored by the Women’s Policy Forum of Fort Worth to be held in the spring of 2017.
Toluca, officially called Toluca de Lerdo is the state capital of Mexico State, as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. It is the center of a rapidly growing urban area, now the fifth largest in Mexico. Toluca is located in the economic center of Mexico. Toluca has become an important economic city because of its industries and infrastructure that produce beverages, food, textiles, cars, and electronic products.
Toluca, Mexico: Nathan Henderson, Stripling Middle School and Stephanie Atkinson, University of Texas at Arlington.
Twenty-six Fort Worth Sister Cities International delegates will depart Friday on an eight day educational mission to Cuba to learn more about the country and to promote Fort Worth. The delegation will consist of representatives from the business, education, arts and tourism sectors.
Special meetings are set with the U.S. Embassy staff in Havana to discuss the current political climate of the country. While in Havana the delegation will also meet with Professor Carlos Alzugaray Treto on U.S./Cuba Relations. Professor Alzugaray is the Former Cuban Ambassador to the European Union and former Director of the Institute of Foreign Relations in Havana.
Sister Cities is working with Cuba Cultural Travel, an operator under a “People to People” license required by the U.S. Dept. of Treasury who sets regulations for any American citizen wishing to travel to Cuba.