Seven middle school students from the Cupertino Union School District left San Francisco International Airport on April 13, bound for Copertino, Italy, where they will go to classes at San Giuseppe da Copertino. The students traveled via Rome to Brindisi to reach their Southern Italian destination.
This cohort continues a tradition that has now spanned a decade. This Cupertino-Copertino connection has sustained for 10 years, pausing only during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was championed by former Mayor Gilbert Wong and Councilmember Mauro Valentino, whose leadership helped establish the cultural and educational partnership between the two cities.
Student exchanges like this one exemplify the grassroots diplomacy at the heart of the Sister Cities movement, giving young people direct experience with another culture while building lasting bonds between communities.
