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DID YOU KNOW?
Florida State College at Jacksonville offers an English Language Institute (ELI) to provide intensive, high-quality English instruction to non-native English speakers.
The Institute helps students gain proficiency in English as a second language; provides English language instruction to business executives; teaches conversational English for students who will only stay in the United States a short time; and can help all speakers with accent reduction.
Anna Marie Siegel,
Director of International Student Services at Florida State College,
recently gave an overview of the program to the JSCA Board. For more information, call (904) 632-3248 or visit www.fscj.edu/eli.
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Yingkou students planning trip to Jacksonville
A group of more than a dozen students from Yingkou China) may visit Jacksonville in August.
The China Committee is now working to coordinate the visit, which would be the first ever JSCA student exchange with Yingkou. The visit also would be a great way to help commemorate the city's 20th Anniversary twinning with Jacksonville.
Stay tuned for details! |
BOARD CONTACTS In our newsletter's next issue, after Board elections, stay tuned for contact information for our Board members. |
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JSCA awarded grant for Port Elizabeth program
In April, Sister Cities International awarded a two-year, $115,000 grant to JSCA for the Port Elizabeth Committee to perform projects that address sanitation, health, and water issues in urban areas of Africa.
The Africa Urban Poverty Alleviation Program is a three-year, $7.5 million project. JSCA was one of 17 U.S. grant recipients selected by an independent panel of five experts in the areas of sister city relationships, aid administration, and international development. Training with and travel to the African partner city for the newly chosen group will take place throughout the remainder of 2010.
"With this grant we will be able to undertake and complete a water, sanitation, or health project in a Port Elizabeth metropolitan area that demonstrably improves the living conditions of an underserved community living in poverty," said Ron Johnson, vice president of JSCA's Port Elizabeth Committee.
We'll update you with details on the project as it unfolds. Congratulations to the PE Committee and members of the team who assembled the grant application. |
| Bahia Blanca mayor enjoys Jacksonville visit
Bahia Blanca Mayor Cristian Breitenstein (second from left) visited Jacksonville on April 23 and enjoyed a dinner at Epping Forest. Pictured (left to right) Mike Breen, Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce/Cornerstone; Mayor Breitenstein; Robert Peek (JSCA) and his wife, Raquel Rivas; Lane Mathis, JSCA member; Ginny Walthour, City of Jacksonville; and Steve Manis, JSCA Treasurer.
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Local students earning cash; heading to Argentina
 Fourteen high school students from Fletcher Senior High School, along with two chaperones, will be leaving on June 16th for a 16-day visit to Bahia Blanca, followed by a weekend in Buenos Aires.
Many of the students will stay with the students they hosted in February of this year. The students will attend school with their host brother/sister, participate in family activities and practice Spanish.
Lisa Centola and Alice Hill will be traveling as chaperones. Organizers are all quite excited and busy raising money to help with expenses. So far, students have sold donuts and had a car wash. Any ideas or financial assistance would be much appreciated since the students are responsible for all their own expenses. Contact Alice Hill with any suggestions or questions. alicehhill@hotmail.com or hilla@duvalschools.org
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JSCA well represented at World of Nations
Thank you to all the JSCA volunteers who staffed the JSCA booth at the World of Nations celebration this year: Tina Daniels, Tim Robinson, Gary Sass, Steve Manis, Tina Daniels (pictured above left), Felice Franklin (above right), Robert Peek and Ellia Pico (above center).
Special thanks again to Tina Daniels for coordinating the volunteers... and thanks to Ginny Walthour for getting us materials for the table. Thousands of area residents turned out for the three-day event in late April, and JSCA spread the good word about our organization with many residents.
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Tango dancers poised to return to Jacksonville
Once again, the Bahia Blanca committee is inviting the First Tango Ballet of Bahía Blanca, Argentina to perform in Jacksonville. Our two cities have been twinned since 1967, and the Tango dancers have long performed in Jacksonville as part of an annual cultural exchange program. The target date is late September/early October 2010. The dancers will perform at various venues in and around the city, including Florida Community College at Jacksonville and in Duval County Schools. We'll update you on exact dates and times when the program is set. |
Ningbo delegation visits Jacksonville
Seven officials from Ningbo (China) visited Jacksonville for one day in April. The delegation included officials from the port and city of Ningbo. The group had lunch with representatives from the JSCA Board; Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce; and Jacksonville Port Authority. The delegation also toured JAXPORT, and invited JSCA and the City of Jacksonville to attend the "China Ningbo International Port Culture Festival" from July 29 August 1 of this year. Special thanks to Diane Yao (fourth from right) for her work to coordinate this visit. |
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Ideas for the newsletter?
If you have any comments about the newsletter or would like to see a photo or story in a future edition, please contact Robert Peek at Robert.peek@jaxport.com or phone (904) 357-3047.
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