News
Bastille Day
The Phoenix Sister Cities Grenoble City Committee celebrated Bastille Day 2021 virtually. Learn more about Bastille Day and view the pre-recorded concert below.
Autumn Leaves
The Phoenix Sister Cities Grenoble City Committee celebrated Beaujolais Nouveau Day virtually this year! Check out their pre-recorded virtual jazz concert below. Thank you to our talented performers, Andrea Beaulieu and Pam Morita.
Autumn Leaves is available for you to view at your leisure. Enjoy! VIEW NOW.
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Mural Exchange
The Phoenix Sister Cities Grenoble Committee is pleased to announce a new cultural exchange of mural artists.
Lucretia Torva will be visiting Grenoble, France, in June 2018 to paint a mural during the yearly Street Art Fest, www.streetartfest.org. Lucretia lived in Grenoble as a child and is excited to return and share her art with the city of her childhood. One of Lucretia’s specialties is automotive art and she has been asked to make American cars the subject of her mural. Lucretia will be sending photos and videos to update us on the progress of the mural. See more of her work at www.torvafineart.com
In collaboration with the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, the Committee will coordinate a visit by a Grenoble muralist in fall 2018 or spring of next year.
Grenoble Students Visit and Meet Mayor Stanton (Spring 2017)
Phoenix Sister Cities DAC-Grenoble Delegation Trip
The PSC Grenoble and Disabilities Awareness Committees’ delegation traveled to our sister city of Grenoble, France for a Europe-wide accessibility conference. Members of the delegation included: PSC Disabilities Awareness Committee (DAC) Chair Michael Sleeseman, DAC Vice-Chair Mary Jane Trunzo, ADA Coordinator/ Disabilities Service Manager Nannette Odell, Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist Jay Whipple and PSC Grenoble Committee Vice-Chair Janine Bobin.
The six-day intensive program involved presentations from both the Grenoble/DAC Committee and various Grenoble disabilities-focused organizations within the business, medical, educational, and public/ nonprofits fields. Mary Jane Trunzo gave a presentation about Phoenix Sister Cities and the Disabilities Awareness Committee’s award-winning activities and initiatives.
Nannette Odell had the opportunity to present to the students of the University of Grenoble, College of Urban Planning who were preparing for a trip to help improve access to another part of the world. The presentation covered Facility Access, Program Access, and Training and universal design. The emphasis was applying the practices of universal design from the concept stage all the way through the approved final. Students were engaged in the conversation and shared ideas on how to creatively modify existing spaces in a cost-efficient manner.
Nannette Odell had the opportunity to present to the students of the University of Grenoble, College of Urban Planning who were preparing for a trip to help improve access to another part of the world. The presentation covered Facility Access, Program Access, and Training and universal design. The emphasis was applying the practices of universal design from the concept stage all the way through the approved final. Students were engaged in the conversation and shared ideas on how to creatively modify existing spaces in a cost-efficient manner.
Jay Whipple, presented on accessibility for individuals who are blind or visually impaired to the innovate research and development staff of the CEA Tech, Minatec Campus. Jay Whipple’s presentation analyzed the Roots of Orientation and Mobility (M & O) which go back hundreds of years. The overview included a look at the systematic and technique based training that began shortly after World War I that has evolved and still used today.
Lycee Andre Argouges and Central High School Exchange
During the 2015-16 school year, students enrolled in Central High School’s Global Studies Program participated in a cross-cultural exchange with their counterparts at Grenoble’s Lycée André Argouges. Ten French students and their teacher-chaperone came to Phoenix in February. They were hosted by students and faculty from Central. During their visit, the French students visited the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Flagstaff, Tonto Bridge State Park, the Titan Missile National Historic Landmark, and the Musical Instrument Museum. They also visited classes at Central, made presentations about Grenoble and the Rhône-Alpes region, and engaged in informal question and answer sessions with students, staff, and community members.
Lycée André Argouges reciprocated in April. Central’s group was hosted by their new friends. Central students sat in on classes at Lycée André Argouges, and represented the City of Phoenix and the state of Arizona during presentations. Central students also visited historic and educational locations such as Château de Vizille and the Musée de la Révolution française de Vizille. Everyone at Central High and Lycée André Argouges was pleased with the experiences enjoyed by the participating students. The French students were able to immerse themselves in American culture for two weeks. The American students were able to do the same in France. The exchange afforded students in both countries a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see each other’s country not as tourists, but as travelers and guests. Both schools are committed to continuing this unique exchange during the 2016-17 school year.
