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Monday, January 22, 2018

Cagayan de Oro-Norfolk High School Student Summer Visitor Exchange Program


The Cagayan de Oro-Norfolk High School Student Summer Visitor Exchange Program is a new initiative of the twin cities -- Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines and Norfolk City, Virginia, USA. -- to strengthen people-to-people exchanges down to the community and sector level, thus, further cementing the bond of both port cities.



The student visitor exchange program aims to bring the youth from both cities closer together in a brief yet rich summer activity. The high school students will stay with “host siblings” to hone their interpersonal skills and cultivate life-long friendships. It is also hoped that the students’ time away from their country will allow them to appreciate a new culture as well as that of their very own, albeit on a fresher and deeper level.



The first visit will come from Cagayan de Oro. The Norfolk Sister City Association has prepared an itinerary covering the whole duration of the students’ stay in the US – July 01-July 15. The itinerary includes visits to monuments, museums, parks, factories, and sites unique to Norfolk, as well as participation in cultural activities in their host city. A visit to the Philippine Embassy in the District of Columbia is also included.



It may be recalled that Cagayan de Oro City and Norfolk City forged a sister city relationship on June 18, 2008. In the resolution signed by then Mayor Constantino G. Jaraula of Cagayan de Oro and Paul D. Fraim of Norfolk, both cities recognize their shared similarities as major port cities. Both cities also share a treasured historic significance in that Norfolk is the seat of the General Douglas McArthur Memorial, and Cagayan de Oro has the largest replica of the general’s famous “scrambled egg cap”. As sister cities, both Cagayan de Oro and Norfolk promote and carry out exchanges that include but are not limited to business, economic, governmental, medical, educational, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges such as this high school student summer visitor exchange program. A similar endeavor is. The student summer visitor exchange program is the second of the sister the Adult Exchange Program which was conducted on May 14-28, 2016 where 10 professionals from Cagayan de Oro City visited Norfolk to learn more about the city’s public and private education system.



OBJECTIVES



1. To provide students from both cities with the opportunity for intercultural learning;
2. To strengthen the students’ self-awareness and self confidence, and hone their skills in interacting with others;
3. To develop cultural awareness and understanding among students;
4. To provide students with an educationally enriching experience outside the school and academic setting, and
5. As part of the Cagayan de Oro-Norfolk Sister City Relations, to promote international understanding and cooperation among citizens of both cities.



PARTICIPANTS’ QUALIFICATIONS 



Six high school students, preferably representing the private and public schools with fair distribution of gender, will be selected and then trained as participants of the exchange program. The students must meet the following qualifications:



1. High school students in any public or private school in Cagayan de Oro, and who have not yet graduated from high school;
2. Not below 15 years of age, and above 18 years old during the program;
3. Must have good communication skills, and whose verbal English capability is intermediate or above average;
4. Must be mature enough to handle life away from family and friends;
5. Must have the potential to benefit from the experience and be part of the sustaining mechanism of the CDO-Norfolk Student Summer Visitor Exchange Program;
6. A resident of Cagayan de Oro, and a Filipino citizen, and
7. Has no criminal record



RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR PARENTS



Fulfill the requirements for a Philippine passport, US visa, airfare (round trip domestic and international flights), and short term travel insurance;



Faithfully observe the program guidelines;
Serve as the city and country’s ambassador of goodwill, and comport oneself as such;
Leave the destination country (USA) on completion of the program, and not beyond the visa granted by the United States government;
Be at the forefront in sustaining the goodwill and friendships established during the program, including the hosting of student visitors on their reciprocal visit in Cagayan de Oro, and
Shoulder the cost for passport and visa applications, airfare (round trip domestic and international flights), short term travel insurance, as well as provide for the student’s allowance.



SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION FORMS



The Oro-Trade and Investment Promotions Center of the City Government of Cagayan de Oro serves as secretariat of the Cagayan de Oro-Norfolk High School Student Summer Visitor Exchange Program. Application forms with documents should be submitted to this office ON OR BEFORE FEBRUARY 15, 2018 through email or in hard copy using the address below:



CDO-TRADE AND INVESTMENT PROMOTIONS CENTER


3/ F, New Administrative Building City Hall Compound
Capistrano-Hayes Streets
9000 Cagayan de Oro City
Landline (088) 857-3057
Email: investcdo@cagayandeoro.gov.ph

 Forms may be downloaded from the Cagayan de Oro city government website at www.cagayandeoro.gov.ph

For Application form please download it here: http://cagayandeoro.gov.ph/2016-07-25-02-34-58/cdo-norfolk-application-form

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