Sint Maarten & City of Tallahassee Celebrating 20 years as Sister Cities | SOUALIGA NEWSDAY

SINT MAARTEN/FLORIDA, USA – Sint Maarten and the City of Tallahassee, Florida are celebrating twenty years as sister cities on September 23, 2019. The relationship was established in 1999 as the territories recognised the mutual benefit and potential partnership, particularly in education and tourism.

As the Floridian capital recognises this year’s anniversary, the Government of Sint Maarten and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport will be represented by a two-person delegation from the Division Study Financing.

Senior Policy Officer, Calvin Mardembrough and Jessica Rogers, a newly appointed officer will be present to witness the celebration as well as visit universities, interact with school and city officials, and the students.

Sint Maarten is committed to this great relationship of city and country and therefore, it is important for the study financing staff to build on its network as there is an increasing amount of study financing recipients still choosing to further their education at one of the schools in Tallahassee. Mr. Mardembrough and Ms. Rogers will be on this working visit during a week of what is expected to be a very hectic schedule of activities in Tallahassee.

Earlier this year, the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport signed the agreement to extend the partnership with Tallahassee where many of Sint Maarten’s young people go to pursue their tertiary education with the assistance of study financing. Mr. Mardembrough has been instrumental in the development of the relationship between Sint Maarten and the colleges in Tallahassee.

According to Minister Wycliffe Smith, “Sint Maarten and Tallahassee’s relationship is strong. Our students are given such care and special treatment, it is as close as it gets to having a ‘home away from home’ This is all possible because of the work done by key persons in both territories over the years.”

Minister Smith expressed his appreciation for the groundwork laid by the founders of the Tallahassee-Sint Maarten Foundation and to those who currently maintain the standards such as current president of the foundation, Stephen Knight and vice president, Lililita Johnson Forbes.

The Office of the Mayor of Tallahassee has maintained a significant friendship with Country Sint Maarten. Minister Smith will be meeting on Monday September 23rd, 2019 with various persons who contributed over the years to keeping this agreement alive, including Mr. Arthur Lugisse who was instrumental in this process. The Government of Sint Maarten looks forward to maintaining this partnership with Tallahassee.

MECYS Cabinet Chief of Staff, Peter J Gittens (left) with Stephen Knight (right) and Lililita Johnson Forbes (center) of the Tallahassee-Sint Maarten Foundation during their working visit to Sint Maarten.

 

 

 

Source: Souliga Newsday https://www.soualiganewsday.com/index.php?option=com-k2&view=item&id=27476:sint-maarten-city-of-tallahassee-celebrating-20-years-as-sister-cities&Itemid=451

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