The Sister Cities Association of St. Augustine, Florida, has maintained a meaningful partnership with Cartagena de las Indias, Colombia, since 2007, building connections through education, cultural exchange, and community support. The partnership has focused on supporting students with special needs by connecting St. Augustine’s Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) with Juan Salvador Gaviota, a school for deaf students in Cartagena. Through virtual exchanges, students have interacted across language and cultural barriers, including differences between American and Colombian sign languages. In 2015, the partnership expanded when FSDB’s then-president, Jeanne Prickett, and members of the St. Augustine Sister Cities Association organized a seminar in St. Augustine for Colombian teachers to learn new teaching techniques for children with special needs.
Beyond educational exchange, the association has continued to support Juan Salvador Gaviota through fundraising and ongoing visits. For years, St. Augustine Sister Cities has hosted free, public Hispanic Awareness Day celebrations, directing donations and association funds toward essential school supplies, computers, monitors, printers, and uniforms. Most recently, association member Travis Stevens traveled to Cartagena to deliver a $4,000 donation for new computers. These efforts reflect the lasting impact of citizen diplomacy, demonstrating how international partnerships can strengthen communities and create opportunities for children. As the association looks forward to another group visit to Cartagena next year, its members remain inspired by the students’ enthusiasm, gratitude, and warmth– a powerful reminder of the human connections at the heart of Sister Cities partnerships.
