Sarasota Perpignan
2013:
In association with our Alliance Member, Alliance Francaise, we helped find an intern from the Perpignan area who is spending four months as an intern at Alliance Francaise. Four young students from Perpignan spent two weeks with home host families in Sarasota and attended classes at Pine View. A university of Perpignan professor, Xavier Py, spent a week in Sarasota as apresenter and participant at the Sarasota Sister Cities International Sustainability Conference.
Three families heavily involved in the Perpignan Sarasota Sister Cities alliance spent a total of more than three weeks in Sarasota participating in several events, including theInternational Sustainability conference. One of the families was home hosted. A Sarasota Sister Cities member (Marie des Neige Grossas) spent the summer in Perpignan and had very productive meetings with Perpignan representatives.
2012:
Two students from Perpignan spent two weeks during the summer in Sarasota aspart of a family to family exchange. A student from Perpignan was home hosted with a family in Sarasota as part of a Family to Family Exchange and the Sarasota student spent two weeks with the Perpignan student's family
2011:
Seven SSCA members were invited to attend, as guests, the dedication and opening of the grand new performing arts center in Perpignan, and also had meetings with the Perpignan Chamber of Commerce, the University of Perpignan's solar energy department, the dedication of a very large solar panel array in the Saint Charles Distribution center, a luncheon meeting with Perpignan business leaders and a reception/dinner with representatives of Perpignan's other sister cities from Israel, Algeria, Germany, and England.
2010:
A graduate student from Perpignan came to Florida to attend graduate school, and to work. Through SSCA he found a job and a place to live, as well as transportation. Eighteen Riverview students spent thanksgiving vacation hosted by families in Perpignan. The students attended classes at Lycee Pablo Picasso, and toured the Pyrenees Oriental. Some of the Sarasota students experienced snow, and saw mountains for the first timein their lives.
Two representatives of SSCA spent several weeks in Perpignan meeting with city officials , teachers and Lycee Pablo Picasso students who were guests of SSCA in the fall of 2009.
2009:
Two SSCA members spent several weeks in Perpignan working with city officials, teachers and others to plan the 2009 fall exchange for Lycee Pablo Picasso students to spend a week in Sarasota. From November 7 15, 2009, Twenty four Lycee Pablo Picasso students and four teachers spent the week in Sarasota deeply immersed in educational, tourism and the arts of Sarasota. All of the students and teachers were home hosted.
2008:
Eight students, along with two chaperons, representing several of the Sarasota high schools and the Sarasota Sailor Circus, were guests of the City of Perpignan as part of a week long Catalan Culture Festival. The Sarasota students were all experienced in performing arts, and as part of the festival they had to create their own performances. An engineering student, who came to Sarasota as part of a work study program, needed help finding a place to live, and transportation. When he arrived at the Sarasota airport he was met and shown around the city. SSCA members stayed in touch with him and hosted him on several occasions. He is still in periodic communication with us, which is one of the rewards of involvement in SSCA
2007:
2006:
Two members of the Sarasota/Perpignan committee traveled to Perpignan and spent a week working with officials on future exchanges.
2005:
Two Sarasota Sister City / Perpignan committee members had an initial meeting with Perpignan officials to discuss the then current status of the relationship and future possibilities.
2003:
Visit to Perpignan by Mayor Palmer and Barbara Hopkins
Harry Dunn
12.02, 2013
12.02, 2013
