Mayor's Welcome
Major Jeff Longwell
Honorary Chair of Wichita Area Sister Cities
Since 1973, we have worked diligently to strengthen our relationships with each of the four cities – Cancun, Mexico; Orleans, France, Kaifeng, China; and Tlalnepantla, Mexico. WASC continues to serve as a catalyst for educational and city-to-city exchanges that have enriched our ties abroad and I thank you for your diligence.
(316) 268-4331
President's Welcome
Welcome to our website. It reflects our devotion to the mission and purpose of WASC and Sister Cities International our parent organization. Please read about our activities and if you want to join in, you can become a member online through our Square Shop.
Wichita State University
2016 WASC President
Mission
To promote peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation - one individual, one community at a time.
Purpose
Wichita Area Sister Cities (WASC) pursues exchanges with its sister cities in the following areas of interest:
Diplomatic - Mayor and City Council delegation visits
Cultural - group and individual exchanges
Educational - university programs for language development
Professional - ballet, music, chef, etc.
Tourism - group and individuals
Economic - searching business opportunities
Strategic Goals
Consistent with Sister Cities International, our strategic goals are:
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Cultural Exchange
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Partnership Building
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Business & Trade
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Community Development
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Youth & Education
More information from Sister Cities International
Sister Cities International
Annual Meeting
& Banquet
February 1st
RSVP by January 25th
Botanica
Mixer 6:00
Dinner 7:00
Program 8:00
Tickets $20
Entre Nous
Panel Discussion on Intercultural Interactions in General and with French
Prof. Wilson Baldridge, Dr. Mara Alagic, Prof. Glyn Rimmington
Silent Auction, Prize Wheel & Fun
Light Meal $20
Sunday, February 11th, 6 - 9 pm
Olive Tree Banquet Hall
Cities
Kaifeng 开封, Henan 河南, P.R. China 中华人民共和国 Early in 1985, Wichita Mayor Robert Brown appointed a task force to study the desirability of establishing a Sister City relationship with a city in the Henan Province, a sister state to Kansas, People's Republic of China. The relationship became official on December 3rd and in September 1986, Mayor Brown led the first delegation to visit Mayor Zhu in Kaifeng.
On April 16th, 1944, the 137th Infantry of Kansas 35th Division liberated Orléans from Nazi occupation. In 1949, 1 1/7th Scale train was sent to Orléans as a gift. Orléans and Wichita became sister cities in 1974. That year, they exchanged statues of Joan of Arc and Blackbear Bosin's Keep of the Plains.
Wichita and Tlalnepantla de Baz, Mexico, became Sister Cities in 1973 when the Presidente Municipal (Mayor) Joaquin Rodriguez Lugo visited Mayor James Donnel in Wichita. A replica of Black Bear Bosin's Keeper of the Plains was presented to Tlalnepantla de Baz in 1975.
Kaifeng 开封, Henan 河南, P.R. China 中华人民共和国 Early in 1985, Wichita Mayor Robert Brown appointed a task force to study the desirability of establishing a Sister City relationship with a city in the Henan Province, a sister state to Kansas, People's Republic of China. The relationship became official on December 3rd and in September 1986, Mayor Brown led the first delegation to visit Mayor Zhu in Kaifeng.
In 2017, we expect visits by Tlalnepantla de Baz cyclists and delegations from Orléans and Kaifeng for River Fest and then to visit Orléans in September and Kaifeng in October...
See our Riverfest page for more details.
Economic Value of Sister Cities
Recently, ValueIdeas LLC published a report, "Measures that Matter," for Sister Cities International on the economic value of Sister Cities nationally and for particular cities. It is well worth reading.
Meet visiting delegates from China, France or Mexico and participate in official visits to our Sister Cities; make business, cultural or educational contacts; stay informed about visits and scholarships; practice your Spanish, French or Mandarin; and much more.
You can support the Wichita Area Sister Cities with tax-deductable donations. Donations can be made online using your credit card.
OUR SPONSORS
