It has indeed been an exhilarating year for Southlake Sister Cities! Earlier this summer, our city revived its cultural exchange program by sending two Southlake high school students, accompanied by a City staff chaperone, to our Sister City, Tome, Japan. Now it's our turn to extend a warm Southlake welcome as Tome sends a student delegation to our city at the end of October.

Southlake Sister Cities is hard at work crafting an exciting and interactive itinerary that will showcase the very best our community has to offer. Simultaneously, City staff is preparing to extend a gracious welcome to our guests at Town Hall, DPS Headquarters, and The Marq Southlake.

The bond between Southlake and Japan was forged in 1991 when they became Sister Cities. Student delegations traveling between Southlake and Tome have long been the cornerstone of our cultural exchange program. While these exchanges had to be put on hold during the pandemic, 2023 marks the revival of our cultural connections! Upon returning from her trip to Tome as a staff chaperone, Deputy City Secretary, Veronica Lomas stated that her trip was "an immersion into Japanese culture with language learning. As a chaperone, I feel honored to have been a part of this amazing and unforgettable Japan trip."

The delegation from Tome, Japan, is scheduled to arrive in Southlake on Tuesday, October 31, and depart on Sunday, November 5. Southlake Sister Cities members will be hosting eight students, and two Tome city staff members will chaperone the delegation.

We eagerly look forward to welcoming our Sister City guests to our picturesque community! To discover more about Southlake Sister Cities and explore opportunities for involvement, please visit their website.