In November of 2004, under the coordination of Sandra Erickson, Robert Harris, Vandana Damany, the Commission on International Relations put together a day long program for the foreign exchange students attending school in Great Falls. Eleven of the thirteen exchange students met with Leadership High School students from Great Falls High, C.M. Russell High and Central Catholic High School. Sandra Erickson discussed the importance of leadership and networking in international relationships. Bill Beecher, City Commission member, discussed city government. After lunch at the High Plains Heritage Center, the students toured the Fairhaven Hutterite Colony to experience culturally diverse part of our community.
Foreign Exchange students: Andrea Sandi Poppe, Boliva; Nicole Monguzzi, Italy; Cynthia Yuna LeCorre, France; Ji Un An, Korea; Inga Koellmann, Germany; Jan Bierbrauer, Germany; Matthias Klaes, Germany; Yi-Luen, Taiwan; Theresa Hillscher, Germany; Katrin Kneissler, Germany; Mia Strand-Holm, Denmark
At the regular Commission meeting on February 22, Dr. Chengci Chen with Montana State University, Experiment Station at Moccasin. Dr. Chen discussed grant opportunities through the China-United States Agriculture Exchange Program. He also presented the idea that the Commission consider establishing a relationship with Dr. Chen's home city in China.
Through a series of meetings the Commission has established a relationship with the Twining Society of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. The Twining Society fosters international relations between the city of Lethbridge and foreign cities. At the present time, the Society has well-established relations with cities in Russia and Japan. The Commission assisted the Society with a Christmas project which involved sending shoe boxes filled with school supplies and personal items to students in Timashevsk, Russia.