Sister Cities
High School
Youth Exchange
School-Year Based
Two-way exchange program that immerses students in the daily lives of students in Philadelphia’s Sister Cities and fosters deep connections with local communities. Participants live with host families, attend local schools, and engage in collaborative project-based learning.
Program Model:
High School Membership – By Invitation Only
Location:
In-Person for Incoming and Outgoing Exchanges
Schedule:
School-Year Based
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The World Affairs Council of Philadelphia serves as the nonprofit partner to the City of Philadelphia for the Sister Cities program.
World Affairs serves as a liaison to establish communication, facilitate the relationship, and share best practices and guiding principles.
BECOME A CITIZEN DIPLOMAT
Want to connect with students from Philadelphia’s Sister Cities?
Citizen Diplomat Academy is a free virtual exchange program that connects you with students from Philadelphia’s Sister Cities. Through live sessions and activities, you’ll develop cultural understanding and make new friends.
Past High School Exchange Projects
Philadelphia-Frankfurt
Mural Project 2026
While diplomatic partnerships are often marked by formal ceremonies and policy exchanges, the Philadelphia-Frankfurt Mural Project left an indelible, physical mark in Europe. Students from Philadelphia and Frankfurt, alongside mural artists from both cities, co-created a public mural, turning a civic partnership into tangible art for thousands of people to see and engage with annually. Read on below to learn about the project and follow our student-created stories.
Toruń Model UN 2026
In October 2025, Philadelphia high school students from two public schools, George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science and Science Leadership Academy, competed alongside international peers from 11 countries. 2025 was the 10th year that Toruń hosted it’s international, student-run and led Model United Nations. A simultaneous visiting delegation from Philadelphia were able to attend and watch students in action during this conference.
Past High School Exchanges
KOBE,
JAPAN
School Year 2025-2026
Bodine High School for International Affairs and Kobe Municipal Fukiai High School from Kobe, Japan
TIANJIN,
CHINA
Ongoing Exchange, established 2025-2026
Parkway Center City Middle College and Tianjin Foreign Language School from Tianjin, China
FLORENCE,
ITALY
Ongoing Exchange, established in 2024
Central High School and Gobetti-Volta High School from Florence, Italy
FRANKFURT,
GERMANY
May 2024
Global House of Young Voices International Youth Summit hosted in Frankfurt, Germany
This one-week summit was held with 12 of Frankfurt’s Sister Cities to strengthen their international network and young people’s intercultural competence.
TORUŃ,
POLAND
Ongoing Exchange, established in 2022
Science Leadership Academy Center City and Copernicus High School #1 from Toruń, Poland
FRANKFURT,
GERMANY
Ongoing exchange, established in 2023
George Washington Carver High School and Schule am Ried from Frankfurt, Germany
SISTER CITIES PROGRAM SPONSOR
This Project was financed [in part] by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Economic and Community Development.