Frequently Asked Questions

There are lots of opportunities to learn and grow with the Sister Cities Committee. Volunteers are always needed to serve on the committee, to help with delegation visits, student exchanges, offer tours of Forest Grove, host a student or adult delegate, offer transportation during delegation visits, and to just learn more about the friendship Forest Grove has with Nyuzen.

Consider making a donation! Even the smallest contributions have a significant impact in helping us ensure the continued success of our sister cities student exchange program! The Sister Cities Committee is a community-based organization, working under the Forest Grove Chamber of Commerce, to foster international community involvement and people-to-people relationships between the City of Forest Grove and the Town of Nyuzen, Japan. The primary program is a student exchange program with Forest Grove's Sister City, Nyuzen, Japan.

Download the Donation Form (PDF).

To learn more about the Sister Cities Committee or becoming a member of the Sister Cities Committee, please email Nicole Nowlin, Sister Cities Committee President.

The Committee encourages the people of other nations to learn about American history, culture, and aspirations. The program is a two-way, encouraging Forest Grove citizens to learn about other nations, utilizing exchanges of information and activities between sister cities in all aspects of contemporary life. Programs have included letter-writing exchanges between students in Forest Grove and Nyuzen. Gifts, locally-made products, and community information exchanged with Nyuzen have been placed on display in the Community Auditorium, Chamber of Commerce, and Forest Grove Library. The tulips you see blooming around springtime in Forest Grove are gifts from Nyuzen, which have been planted by the Forest Grove Parks and Recreation Department. In addition, intercultural communication programs featuring Japan and China have been provided to local groups using the outstanding resources of Pacific University's Intercultural Institute and Forest Grove School District. Since 1988, the City of Forest Grove has sent a delegation every other year to Nyuzen under the guidance and leadership of the Mayor. Nyuzen reciprocates, sending a delegation every other year opposite of Forest Grove. Nyuzen also sends a student delegation every year. In addition to official meetings and receptions, the delegates visit important cultural and historical sites. The delegates pay their own visit expenses and are hosted in private homes. The Committee is always looking for homestay families to sponsor a delegate from Nyuzen - this is definitely once-in-a-lifetime international culture experience.