Noblesville Sister Cities
What is a Sister City?
“A sister city, county, or state relationship is a broad-based, long-term partnership between two communities in two countries. A relationship is officially recognized after the highest elected or appointed official from both communities sign off on an agreement to become sister cities.”
- Sister Cities International
Where We Are
(U.S. Partnerships Worldwide)
Sister City Relationships by Region
Oceania
Europe
The Americas
countries, and
relationships
32 374
Sub-Saharan Africa
Americas
Asia
Europe
countries, and
relationships
38 609
10 81
Middle East/ North Africa
countries, and
relationships
Sub-Saharan
Africa
countries, and
relationships
29 114
Asia
countries, and
relationships
26 593
Asia
Oceania
countries, and
relationships
3 29
Middle East/North Africa
Europe
100 88 81 55 36 33 27 22 17 14 13
11 10
9
9
7
7
7
6
Germany
France
Italy
United Kingdom Ireland
Spain
Poland
Ukraine
Czech Republic Sweden
Greece
Norway
Hungary
Belgium Switzerland Austria
Croatia
Portugal
Finland
5 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1
Lithuania
Moldova
Romania
Bulgaria
Netherlands
Slovakia
Denmark
Macedonia
Slovenia
Bosnia and Herzegovina Estonia
Kosovo
Latvia
Serbia
Iceland
Montenegro
Albania
Belarus
Isle of Man
Asia
162 157 58 51 47 39 21 15
9
5
4
4
4
Japan
China
Russia Taiwan
South Korea Philippines India
Turkey Vietnam Indonesia Armenia Cambodia Mongolia
3 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
Afghanistan Georgia Pakistan Thailand Azerbaijan Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Burma
East Timor Kazakhstan Nepal Tajikistan Turkmenistan
Oceania
17 11 1
Australia
New Zealand American Samoa
Americas
Americas
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub Saharan Africa
Americas
168 27 21 15 14 13 13 12 11
9
9
7
7
6
6
4
4
Mexico Canada Brazil
Peru Nicaragua Argentina Haiti
El Salvador Colombia Costa Rica Cuba
Chile Ecuador Bahamas Jamaica Belize Dominican Republic
4 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Venezuela
Guatemala
Panama
Paraguay
Uruguay
Bolivia
Puerto Rico
Aruba
Barbados
Cayman Islands Guyana
Honduras
Saint Kitts and Nevis Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Islands
25 14 10 8
8
5
5
4
4
3
Ghana
Nigeria
Kenya
South Africa Tanzania Liberia Ethiopia Senegal Zambia Burkina Faso
3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1
Cameroon
Mali
Rwanda
Namibia
Sierra Leone
Côte d’Ivoire Angola
Benin
Botswana
Congo (Kinshasa)
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Guinea Lesotho Malawi Mozambique Uganda Zimbabwe Cape Verde Eswatini Somalia
Middle East and North Africa
Americas
Middle East and North Africa
44 7
7
5
5
Israel
Iraq Morocco Egypt Jordan
4 3 1 1 1
Palestinian Territories Lebanon
Algeria
Iran
United Arab Emirates
Our History
Noblesville Sister Cities was started in 1994 under the leadership of then-mayor Mary Sue Rowland and obtained its first Sister City, Nova Prata, in October of 1996.
The City of Noblesville donated a fire truck and firefighting equipment and uniforms to Nova Prata in 1998 and an ambulance and medical equipment in 2004.
Partnership evolved into a trilateral agreement after adding Cittadella as a Sister City in 2006.
Brazil hosted the first trilateral youth exchange in 2007; Noblesville first hosted students from both SisterCities in 2009.
This trilateral agreement encourages the three countries to work together in areas of government, business, community development, cultural exchange, youth engagement, and relationship building.
The countries each take turns hosting students, chaperones, and delegates from their Sister Cities, rotating every summer in July.
Cittadella hosted in July 2023, Nova Prata will host this coming July, and Noblesville will host in July 2025. In other words, each city hosts every three years.
Students are paired with a host student and stay with that family for the duration of the exchange. Typically, 4 students from each of the visiting Sister Cities are selected to travel, meaning that 8 students are needed from the host country to accommodate the 8 international students traveling.
Chaperones and dignitaries accompany the students, and the host city provides their housing as well. We always recommend staying with host families as it is the best and most immersive way to fully experience the local culture and build incredible relationships with people that will last a lifetime.
Nova Prata, Brazil
Nova Prata is located in the mountainous southernmost part of Brazil. It is a major agricultural and livestock region, similar to parts of Indiana, and is surrounded by natural beauty. They experience their winters during our summer months, so it is coldest from June to August there. Common culinary dishes include arroz carreteiro (rice with beef, sausage, onion, peppers, & grated parmesan) and salada de maionese (“gaucho potato salad”).
Several generations ago, many families immigrated from the Veneto Region (Venice) to Brazil in search of cheaper land and greater work opportunities, so much of the region of Nova Prata still speaks a unique Venetian dialect that is known around Cittadella and the Veneto region, and both cities share ancestral history and culture even today. A fairly young city, Nova Prata is celebrating its Centennial in 2024.
Cittadella, Italy
Cittadella is a beautiful medieval walled city in the province of Padua, Veneto Region, located in northern Italy. There are roughly 20,000 people living in Cittadella and it is close to other major surrounding cities such as Treviso, Venice, Bassano del Grappa, and Verona. The local economy depends on agriculture and manufacturing, similar to parts of Indiana.
The city has preserved its original walled fortress as well as their cultural and historical roots, maintaining a true authentic Italian community. Cittadella celebrated its 800th anniversary in 2020. They have a professional soccer team, dozens of local bars and restaurants, and plenty of local retailers.
City
Year
Nova Prata, Brazil
2019
City
Year
Cittadella, Italy
2023
Annual Summer Youth Exchange
City
Year
Noblesville, Indiana
2018
Noblesville Sister Cities Youth Exchange
Nova Prata, Brazil | July 17-28, 2024
Join us this summer as we travel to our sister city in Nova Prata!
Email
noblesvillesistercities@gmail.com
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Testimonials
"It has been an incredible opportunity to learn about a different culture and share and exchange ideas with local elected officials, local business leaders, and of course the students here in Cittadella.”
- Chris Jensen
(Mayor of Noblesville)
“The experience greatly shaped my view of the world. It is amazing being able to bond over experiences with friends in different time zones and environments. Noblesville is proud to be a part of this organization by bridging the cultural gap in a unique way.”
- Chase Elliot
(NHS Grad 2014)
“Our family has been involved with the youth exchanges for the past 12 years, hosting students from Brazil and Italy, and our daughters have visited Cittadella. I have developed precious friendships in my work with the Committee and through planning the exchanges.”
- Jackie Chatterton
(Sister Cities Committee Member)
“My experience hosting gave me lifelong friendships that I still maintain to this day. I gained valuable perspective on cultural differences as well as a new appreciation for Noblesville. It’s such an incredible opportunity for young people to learn about life in other corners of the world.”
- Sophie Carmosino
(NHS Grad 2018)
“One of my favorite parts of the visit, however, was being able to present two Indiana flags to Mr. Giuseppe Pan of Italy and Mr. Victor Pandolfo of Brazil. As always, it was great learning about their customs and cultures as well as sharing ours.”
- Megan Wiles
(Common Council Member)
"The memories and friendships from my first international trip are like treasures in my life story. Even though my host family and I didn't speak the same language they still made me feel like part of their family. It created this really strong feeling of being part of something special."
- Jordan Hindes
(NHS Grad 2021)
When Noblesville Hosts...
Koteewi Park
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Purdue University
Join Us!
Our Committee is comprised of dedicated volunteers, both Noblesville residents and business owners, and is responsible for:
Recruiting and interviewing students and chaperones for travel years for the Youth Exchange
Planning all activities, meals, housing, transportation and entertainment in our host year for the Youth Exchange (July, every 3rd year)
100% of our fundraising and grant application submissions
Communication with our SisterCity committees in Brazil and Italy as well as with the Mayor, Common Council and sponsors in Noblesville;
Public relations, marketing, social media and website content
Email
noblesvillesistercities@gmail.com
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These sketches were done by Noblesville Sister Cities Committee Member Frank Hindes while chaperoning a trip in Cittadella.
