Alamos, Mexico
Interlaken,
Switzerland
Kingston,
Canada
Marrakech,
Morocco
Cairns,
Australia
Haikou,
China
Uasin Gishu,
Kenya
Killarney,
Ireland
YOUTH AMBASSADORS STUDENT PROGRAM
Serve as an Youth Ambassadors and travel to one of our sister cities. Youth Ambassadors will learn how to interact in their host countries and how to best represent Scottsdale abroad.
Each Youth Ambassador spends one to two weeks in the assigned sister city, living with a host family and an international counterpart. Then, the host student visits Scottsdale for one to two weeks, staying with their international partner.
The Youth Ambassador Exchange Program helps students learn about different cultures and make friends around the world.
Five student exchanges are planned for 2025-2026.
Alamos, Mexico - Spring Break 2026
Marrakech, Morocco - Spring Break 2026*
Kingston, Canada - Fall Break 2025
Uasin Gishu, Kenya - June 2026
*SUSD students only
Uasin Gishu, Kenya Exchange
Postponed to 2026
Contact Donna Hartz at dahartz@hotmail.com
Kingston, Ontario, Canada Exchange
Possible trip in 2025-26.
Interlaken, Switzerland Exchange -applications closed
Next trip planned for 2026/2027. Applications availalbe spring 2026.
INTERNATIONAL CLUBS
In collaboration with Scottsdale Sister Cities, Scottsdale high schools have established International Clubs to raise awareness of international affairs and cultures that helps build global citizens. These programs coincide with direct connections to SSCA’s mission to create student diplomats through our student exchange programs.
​
Each club has student officers who are elected in the spring of each year. Also each club has an SSCA adult liaison volunteer and one or more club faculty advisors. These faculty advisors are:
-
Arcadia High School - Zosha Darnell
-
Basis Scottsdale
-
Chaparral High School - Rebecca Ding
-
Coronado High School - Andrea Valles/Andrew Keller
-
Desert Mountain High School - Veronique Rader
-
Notre Dame Preparatory
-
Saguaro High School - Rachel Pape
-
Scottsdale Prep -
-
Phoenix Country Day -
Students of Scottsdale area high schools who wish to join and participate in exciting international projects are invited to contact any of the club officers, or the faculty advisor of their school, or info@scottsdalesistercities.com.
​
All of the International Clubs have had exciting programs. Members of the clubs are the first to know about exchange trips. In the last ten years, students have traveled to Cairns, Australia; Alamos, Mexico; Haikou, China; Marrakech, Morocco; Uasin Gishu, Kenya; Kingston, Canada, Killarney, Ireland, and Interlaken, Switzerland giving students an opportunity to attend classes overseas, live with host families, establish international friends, be immersed in a foreign language and experience new cultures.
​
One or two representative of each International Club (president and another officer) is also a member of our Junior Board. The purpose of the Junior Board is to provide city-wide coordination of the international clubs and be leaders to increase global awareness of high school students.
JUNIOR BOARD
The Scottsdale Sister Cities Junior Board is a student version of the SSCA Board. Its purpose is to provide Scottsdale high school youth the opportunity to:
-
Lead efforts to increase the international awareness and knowledge of students in Scottsdale.
-
Enhance their personal leadership skills
-
Provide continuity and coordination of SSCA International Clubs
-
Tour various local government agencies, international Consulates, and businesses which operate internationally.
-
Organize globally oriented events for high school students
-
Share their ideas about student international awareness, knowledge and experiences with members of SSCA and organizations in Scottsdale
March 2019
All SSCA Junior Board Members must be willing to attend and participate in all scheduled meetings and events. On average there are one or two meetings a month. Usually the Junior Board meets on Sunday afternoons, but special events may be scheduled at other times.
Members are selected by their International Club faculty advisor or the Junior Board adult advisor. They must attend a high school in the greater Scottsdale area, or they must be a Scottsdale or Paradise Valley resident currently attending high school. Members must be a Sophomore, Junior or Senior.
Junior Board Adult Advisor is committed to assisting the Junior Board to be the most prestigious youth group in Scottsdale and is committed to assisting each member of the Junior Board to be successful.
Current 2022-2023 Junior Board members are:
Chaparral -
Arcadia - Alia Holt, Elyse Soller
Saguaro - London Yvkoff, Lydia Parks
Desert Mountain - Alexandra Sonne, Adrian Gallegly
BASIS Prep -
Phoenix Country Day -
​
For Information on becoming a member of the SSCA Junior Board contact:
The Faculty Advisor of your International Club, or info@scottsdalesistercities.com
Dual Language Immersion Partnership - Pen Pal Exchange Alamos and Pueblo Elementary
Shortly after Pueblo Elementary School began their Spanish Language Immersion Program (FLI), SSCA began a pen pal exchange program between Pueblo and Bartolome #1 Elementary School in Alamos.
Typically two or three exchanges are made each school year by all the grades at Pueblo. Scottsdale students write in Spanish, and the Bartolome students write in English, Spanish and sometimes both.
Exchanges have included letters of introduction, picture post cards from their cities, valentine cards, messages about local holidays, descriptions of favorite foods, art, and math word problem exercises.
The program had become so popular that exchanges were expanded to include Lazaro Cardenes Elementary School in Alamos. Further, students at Lazaro Cardenes prepared large art pieces for the Pueblo students which were displayed in the Pueblo school cafeteria.
Usually when Scottsdale high school students visit Alamos, they assist the Bartolome #1 students with their English and in return when Alamos high school students visit Scottsdale, they assist Pueblo students with their Spanish.
All these activities bring to life and add excitement to learning a second language. Importantly the exchanges also build goodwill by our future generations with neighbors across the border.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE - AUGUST 24, 2024 FROM 8:30-2:00
Each year Scottsdale Sister Cities Association holds a Leadership Conference. ​2023 will be our 16th Annual Student Leadership Conference!!
Being a leader in the global community, leadership skills development, intercultural communication are some of the topics often discussed. Fun activities are planned. Meet like-minded students from most schools in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley.
​
High school students must be SSCA family members or student members ($20) or pay a $15 registration fee. Lunch, snacks and all materials provided.
Registration will open in late July.
​
For more information, please email: sistercitiesscottsdale@gmail.com
​
More info to come. Stay tuned!