PBSCA brings Portland and Bologna together every summer through our Youth Exchange

YOUTH EXCHANGE

This year marks the tenth year of the PBSCA Youth Exchange, a small, reciprocal program, where in alternating years, for two weeks, 16-17 year olds from each city travel one summer and host one summer. Each city provides an official itinerary to introduce our visitors to their sister city, and host families engage them in informal activities.  Starting in 2008, with the arrival of seven Bologna teens in Portland, this summer’s trip to Bologna will be Portland’s fourth. To date, 170 teens have had the opportunity to connect through the PBSCA Youth Exchange, and many friendships have endured.

Our thanks for your help in continuing to offer our young Portland teens a truly authentic and affordable cultural exchange opportunity that meets the mission of Sister Cities International: to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation – one individual, one community at a time.

TRAVELING ABROAD

Though just 2 weeks in duration, this program provides an authentic, cultural experience designed to introduce teens to another way of living and a larger lens through which to view the world. Our hope is that this nurtures a desire to learn more and an acceptance of differences.

APPLY

Applications are posted every year in January. We will be seeking five host families for Summer 2016 when our Bologna visitors come to Portland the first two weeks in July. In the meantime, if you have any questions please email us at bologna@pdx.edu

SUPPORT YOUTH EXCHANGE

As an all-volunteer effort, this program is supported by fundraising efforts and donations which allow us to offer a robust itinerary for our Bologna visitors when in Portland, and to provide a scholarship to at least one of our Portland travelers. Please help us continue to offer this to our young Portlanders.

Donate by downloading our donation form. Or go to our Contribution page to donate via Paypal.