Narita Sister City Exchange Program
For more than 30 years, San Bruno students and city leaders have connected with our sister city of Narita, Japan through a cultural exchange that builds leadership, friendship, and global understanding.
About the Program
The Narita Sister City Exchange Program connects Parkside Intermediate School students with junior high students from Narita, Japan, while connecting leadership across our two cities. Founded in 1990, the program promotes cultural understanding, leadership, and lasting friendships between the two communities.
Each spring, San Bruno families host visiting students and chaperones from Narita. Delegates visit Parkside, tour City departments, and take part in local activities and events.
Each summer, ten Parkside students and their chaperones join City officials to travel to Narita. The students enjoy homestays, cultural workshops, school visits, and city events, while the City officials meet with their counterparts and experience cultural events. Both students and City officials return with new perspectives, confidence, and meaningful connections.
The program is a collaboration between the City of San Bruno, the San Bruno Park School District, and the San Bruno Education Foundation (SBEF). The City and District coordinate hosting and travel, while SBEF leads fundraising and sustainability efforts.
Why the Program Matters and How We Sustain It
The Narita Sister City Exchange Program gives Parkside students a meaningful opportunity to experience another culture. Students build confidence, independence, and lasting friendships, and many participate in international travel for the first time. The program also strengthens long-standing relationships between San Bruno and Narita city leaders, schools, and families.
To keep this experience accessible and sustainable, the City of San Bruno, the School District, and SBEF received a three-year grant from the San Bruno Community Foundation that will end in 2027. This grant covered full costs for the program in 2025 and decreases for 2026 and 2027 as we start to rebuild a strong, local base of sponsors and donors so that the program can be fully supported by community sponsors and donors by 2028.
How You Can Help
Attend the Narita Supporters Dinner! Join Narita alumni, Parkside families, and community members for an evening of stories, program highlights, and updates from City, District, and SBEF partners.
Your support helps fund:
- Hosting meals and school events for the Narita delegation
- Cultural activities and excursions
- Gifts exchanged between cities
- Transportation and program logistics
- Long-term availability of this program for future Parkside students
- Every contribution supports this San Bruno tradition.
We Need Your Support
We have to fund the schools and the community that we want for ourselves and our children. Help support San Bruno’s public schools by becoming an SBEF Supporter today.