Tacoma Sister City Council Wins Sister Cities International's Innovation Award

Tacoma, Wash. – The Tacoma Sister City Council (TSCC) has been recognized by Sister Cities International with an Innovation Award for its work surrounding youth and education. 

"Tacoma is an international city and education is a civic priority for us. Exposing our youth to global perspectives, by connecting them with community leaders and local organizations with an international focus, helps our students and our city thrive," said Mayor Marilyn Strickland.

With the overarching goal of achieving peace promoted through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation, since 2013 the TSCC has held daylong Student Leadership Conferences in partnership with Tacoma Public Schools. These conferences enable Tacoma high school students, civic and business leaders, and elected officials to gather and discuss Tacoma’s progress as an international city. They are designed to foster a broader community understanding of Tacoma’s international relationships, while generating ideas to stimulate student engagement. 

“The Tacoma Public Schools’ work to make this conference a priority for their students was of utmost importance to its success,” said Dr. Greg Youtz, the lead Sister City volunteer on this project.  “More than 150 high school students attended the last conference, and they wrapped things up by crafting recommendations to better position Tacoma as an international city. We got some very interesting ideas that we also shared with the Tacoma City Council, Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, World Trade Center, Port of Tacoma and other interested groups.”

The Sister Cities International Award categories include Best Overall, Innovation (Arts & Culture, Economic Development, Humanitarian Assistance, and Youth & Education), Volunteer of the Year, and Youth Leadership. Award winners will be honored at a special ceremony on Saturday, July 18 during Sister Cities International’s 59th Annual Conference.

Visit cityoftacoma.org/sistercities to learn more about Tacoma's sister cities.