Host families needed for Bosnia-Herzegovina visitors
Students, teachers coming to Dayton for second year in a row.
For the second consecutive year, the U.S. Department of State, through the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo, has awarded the city of Dayton a $120,000 cooperating agreement grant.
The grant makes possible a visit to Dayton by 18 students and three teachers from Bosnia-Herzegovina for three weeks in October. The “Four Cities Young Leader Academy” was developed by the Dayton Mediation Center, the grant recipient, in collaboration with the Dayton Sister City Committee.
The Mediation Center’s connection to Bosnia and Herzegovina began in 2016, when the
Dayton Sister City Committee led a delegation to Dayton’s sister city of Sarajevo, as well as the cities of Banja Luka and Mostar. The trip came on the heels of the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords and the signing of a cooperation agreement between the mayors of Dayton and the three cities in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Homestay families and individuals are sought by the host committee for the October visit. More information is available at www. daytonsistercitycommittee.org/ homestay.
“We had three weeks of activities for the students and teachers, and they really got to see a lot of Dayton’s spirit of innovation, entrepreneurship, and service,” said Arch Grieve, Dayton Sister City Committee chair, referring to last year’s exchange program. “The participants got to experience things like visiting local schools, going to TEDx Dayton, volunteering at the Food Bank, and so much more. The host families were great examples of Dayton’s hospitality and really opened up their homes and hearts to our guests. It was a great experience all around.”
Dayton City Commissioner Matt Joseph, the commission’s ex-officio DSCC member, highlighted the importance of the exchange, saying, “This program is a fitting way to honor the legacy of the Dayton Peace Accords and of the diplomacy that ended the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This exchange will train these students, and the Dayton students that they will meet and learn with, to be future leaders prepared to build democracy and prosperity in both our countries.”