2017 Portland Suzhou Student Exchange Program

January of this year 2017, seventy seven students and 9 teachers from 5 schools in Suzhou had an extraordinary opportunity to experience Portland and our Portland-Suzhou Sister City Schools, and most of all to make new friends. It was also an opportunity for these students and teachers to experience a snow storm, an unusual experience for both cities.

Hosford Middle School hosted 27 students 3 teachers from Lida Middle School and ten students and their teacher from Dongshan Moli Middle School. The International School hosted 24 students and 2 teachers from Suzhou Experimental Elementary School. The Hope Chinese Charter School hosted 15 students and 2 teachers from Jiangsu Primary School which is attached to Xinsu Normal School. The French American International School hosted 6 students and 1 teacher from Jingfan Middle School. Jackson Middle School hosted students and teachers from Suzhou No. 10 Middle School.

PSSCA wishes to thank PSSCA Board Member Kojo Hakam, PPS Mandarin Immersion Curriculum Specialist for Portland Public Schools and Ms. Hanning Bi, Executive Director of Portland’s Skybridge International for helping coordinate these student exchange programs. A number of these schools in Portland will be sending their students to experience Suzhou this year and to practice their Mandarin.

Also a big thanks to Lynne McIntyre, PSSCA President, Alice Lee, Treasurer and Robert Fraser VP, and Board Member Wei Nathan for visiting the schools and participating in their welcoming ceremonies. Each of the schools from Suzhou were presented with a welcoming letter from our Mayor Ted Wheeler.

2016 Portland Suzhou Exchange Program

Portland, Oregon February 1, 2016– Portland has once again hosted six school exchange programs representing approximately 100 students from middle and high schools from Suzhou China. This program occurs during the Chinese, “Spring Break” time period when students have two weeks of vacation.

This program contributes to the ongoing success in promoting Portland as an excellent opportunity for a study abroad program for Chinese students interested in our K-12 programs as well as university studies here in Portland. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal the number of Chinese K-12 students rose 290% since 2008. There are now 360,091 Chinese students at US Universities. The benefits are enormous in terms of immediate and future economic development as well as global understanding and cooperation.

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The Portland-Suzhou Sister City Association in conjunction with Portland City Hall and Travel Portland participated in the welcoming ceremony for each school from Suzhou. In the cover photo, Bonnie Starkey has presented as a gift to the library of the Suzhou Experimental Elementary School Education Group the “Big and Awesome Bridges of Portland and Vancouver” by Portland author Sharon Wood Wortman and Ed Wortman. Jeff Hammerly, Manager, International Tourism -Asia at Travel Portland provided a Portland Travel Guide in Mandarin and a Portland Souvenir Notebook to record the memories of their visit.  A welcome letter from Mayor Hales was also presented. This presentation was made at the Cascade Heights Public Charter School. The French American International School, Woodstock Elementary School, The International School, Hosford Middle School and Cleveland High School also participated in the Suzhou Student Exchange program. Portland Board members presenting also included, Wei Nathan, Jenny Dong, Dr. Gao, Lynne McIntyre and Robert Fraser.

This exchange program which was first initiated by PSSCA could not be possible without the support of parents, teachers and school administrators as well coordinators Kojo Hakam, Curriculum Specialist, Portland public Schools Mandarin Immersion Program, and Hongyu Cai, Director of Skybridge International based in Portland, Oregon, a subsidiary of the Wuzhong Group, Suzhou, China.

The Portland-Suzhou Sister City Association is a non-profit organization of volunteers whose mission is the promotion of educational, cultural exchanges and business development between our two cities. Our annual fundraising Evening Under the Stars Gala is scheduled for Thursday, June 23 at the Lan Su Chinese Garden and is open to the Public. For additional information and sponsorships, contact Robert Fraser, Secretary at rjf@fraserglobalsourcing.com.

2015 Annual Meeting Dec 9 2015

You are cordially invited to join us for a very special evening as we celebrate 30 years of history in the founding of the Portland-Suzhou Sister City Relationship and the development of its friendship project, the Lan Su Chinese Garden.We will pay tribute to the original founding group, many gathered in Portland this past summer to mark this very special milestone.Below are two pictures from their gathering in the Lan Su Chinese Garden with representatives from our association and the Lan Su Chinese Garden.

We are very honored to have as our keynote speaker, Mr. Patrick LaCrosse, one of the very few people that was involved from the beginning with this long and beautiful history 30 years ago.The title of Pat’s talk is “Suzhou, 1985.A Chance Encounter.”Pat is the former Director of the Portland Development Commission and first Director of the Lan Su Chinese Garden. 

PSSCA Founders in Garden

Pat was a member of the first Portland group to travel to Suzhou in 1985 that began the Portland Suzhou Sister City Relationship, was active for many years with PSU--Suzhou student relations, and was asked by Mayor Katz to take over the management of the Lan Su Chinese Garden 6 months prior to its grand opening in 2001.  Using anecdotes,  he will describe in detail some of the more colorful experiences.

Please join us to help celebrate these very special achievements.We look forward to greeting new and old friends, to thank our sponsors and supporters and to hold a short annual business meeting.

Date: Wednesday, Dec 9, 2015 6:00pm - Networking 6:30pm - Welcome 6:35pm - 10-course Chinese Dinner 7:30pm - Suzhou, 1985.  A Chance Encounter by Mr. Patrick LaCrosse 8:10pm - PSSCA Business Meeting/Election of 2016 Board and Officers 8:30 - 9:00pm - Networking

Location: Szechuan Chef Chinese Restaurant 5331 SW Macadam Ave, #115, Portland (Ground floor in John’s Landing)

PLEASE JOIN US!

2015 Evening Under the Stars Gala - June 12, 2015

We thank all of our guests for joining the Portland-Suzhou Sister City Association in the beautiful Lan Su Chinese Garden for our annual signature fundraising event - the Evening Under the Stars Gala:

• To commemorate 27 years of friendship and cooperation in culture, education and business between the citizens of Portland and Suzhou, China

• To celebrate the 15th Anniversary of Lan Su Chinese Garden, a friendship project between Portland and Suzhou.

6-12-15 PSSCA Gala - Group picture - Med

There were numerous highlights for the evening including, but not limited to, the keynote remarks by Consul General Luo; the gift presentation to City of Suzhou by Mayor Hales; the group toast and the group pictures to mark this special occasion; and the presentations of the 2015 Leadership Awards and the Newcombe Wang Memorial Scholarship.

6-12-15 PSSCA Gala - Group Toast

We were very much honored by the presence of the many VIP guests including Consul General of PRC Luo Linquan, Portland Mayor Charlie Hales and Mrs. Nancy Hales, Former Mayor Bud Clark, Senate President Pro Tempore Ginny Burdick, Rep. Brian Clem, Rep. Paul Evans, Rep. Jennifer Williamson, Governor's Senior Policy Director Vice Porter, Portland Director of Government Relations Martha Pellegrino, Portland Director of International Relations Hector Miramontes, Travel Portland's Billie Moser and Jeff Hammerly, Portland Development Commission Representatives, our honored sponsors and the many other VIP guests in attendance. Last but not least are our partners from Lan Su Chinese Garden for this celebration - Executive Director Jane DeMarco and Board President Kathy MacNaughton.

6-12-15 PSSCA Gala - Mayor and Mrs. Hales, CG Luo

It gives us great pleasure to recognize the winners for the 2015 Leadership Awards:

(1) Business Leadership Award: Great Cheer (America), Inc.

(2) Education Leadership Awards: Hosford Middle School and Cascade Heights Public Charter School

(3) Cultural Leadership Award: Lan Su Chinese Garden

We would also like to congratulate our 2015 Newcombe Wang Memorial Scholarship Award winner: Ms. Kelly Huang.

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Our most sincere appreciations to our sponsors, board directors, members and volunteers to make this all possible.   A very big THANK YOU to everyone.

6-12-15 PSSCA Gala - Award Business Leadership to Great Cheer (America) Inc

6-12-15 PSSCA Gala - Award Education Leadership to Hosford Middle School

6-12-15 PSSCA Gala - Award Education Leadership to Cascade Heights Public Charter School

6-12-15 PSSCA Gala - Award Cultural Leadership to Lan Su Chinese Garden

6-12-15 PSSCA Gala - Scholarship Winner Kelly Huang 1