The Technical Assistance Program was established in 1977 to exchange technical expertise between United States communities and affiliated communities in developing countries.
Supported partially by a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), these projects brought sister city partners from developing countries to the United States and helped them work with their United States partners to improve the quality of life in their communities.
Hialeah, Florida and Managua, Nicaragua were the first communities to receive a grant.