SCI: Programs and Services

Programs and Services

Annual Conference — Offers sister city programs around the world the opportunity to network, learn about innovations and share knowledge and experiences.

Areas of Focus:

Muslim World Partnership Initiative — Encouraging positive engagement with the Muslim world through Sister Cities partnerships, joint programs and educational outreach.

Partnership & Peace Travel Program — trip participants visit new countries and communities, learn about the history, eat the food, walk on the streets to experience cultural heritage and meet with elected officials and business leaders. By creating a better understanding of the country, we hope to build more sister city partnerships.

Youth & Education — Projects focused on building multicultural awareness and understanding among youth globally. Project areas: youth exchange, teacher exchange, youth adult partnership, youth in governance, virtual classrooms, e-exchanges, scholarship programs and sister schools.

Visa Resources — This new section provides recent news on visa legislation, application updates for the inbound travelers, and information on our new networking partners. There is also a link to the Visa Toolkit which includes descriptions of the different types of visas, the steps for applying for visas, important links for information and forms, and a frequently asked questions section. Here you will find the different ways Sister Cities International can help make the visa and passport application process more manageable.

Legislative & Policy Updates — Our current intiative to request funding from Congress in the form of a new "seed grant" program which will expand and improve SCI's resources for supporting international citizen exchanges at the local level. Also contains links to Executive and Congressional websites and news updates for more information about recent policies.

Annual Awards — This annual program honors local sister city programs. Categories include: overall program, arts & culture, economic development, disability awareness and more.

Humanitarian Assistance — Projects that help address both long-term and emergency needs in communities.

Sustainable Development — Projects focused on developing communities today while supporting future needs. Project areas: good governance, energy systems, clean water, healthcare, economic development, environmental conservation, poverty alleviation, accessibility and disaster reconstruction.

Grants — Sister Cities International applies for federally funded and private grants. When proposals are approved, we administer these programs and often pass funds on to local sister city organizations.

Press Releases