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Students and educators report revived exchange with Ansbach, Germany; Bay City group plans 2026 anniversary events and fundraiser
Summary
Educators and students described recent student and teacher exchanges with Bay City's sister city Ansbach, Germany, and announced a fundraiser and return exchanges tied to the partnership's upcoming 65th anniversary.
Educators, students and host families described ongoing student and educator exchanges between Bay City and its sister city Ansbach, Germany during the March 17 Bay City City Commission meeting.
Kathy Dardis, an assistant principal at the Bay-Area ISD Career Center, and Susan Elder, a German teacher at Bay City Central, outlined the history of the partnership, which the presenters dated to 1961 and said was revived after a citizen-driven effort. Elder told the commission the relationship emphasizes youth and educator exchanges: after virtual contacts during the COVID period, the groups resumed in-person exchanges in 2022 and expanded visits in 2024.
Students who participated described their experiences. "The connections I've made on that trip truly were unlike anything else," said Isabella Gale, a junior at Bay City Central High School, reflecting on the 2024 Germany trip. Presenters said Bay City has hosted groups from Ansbach and that Ansbach’s community has a Bay City Bridge and a plaza named to recognize the partnership.
The presenters said they have taken teachers on study visits to observe curriculum and classroom practice in Ansbach, and have done collaborative classroom projects with German students in marketing and management. They said the program has included homestays, joint projects, and business visits in Bay City — naming local businesses and institutions that hosted visiting students — and emphasized cross-cultural learning, empathy and long-term personal ties.
Organizers announced a German dinner fundraiser to help underwrite travel and exchange costs set for April 30 at the Bay-Area ISD Career Center from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; tickets are available in advance and at the door. They also said a larger exchange is planned around the 65th anniversary of the sister-city relationship in 2026, when delegations will travel in both directions.
Commissioners thanked the group for their work reviving and sustaining the relationship. The presentation was placed on the agenda under "presentations" and no formal commission action was required.
Background: Presenters traced the relationship to an exchange program era and said it was sustained by citizens and local leaders through decades. They described educational collaborations — including professional-development Zoom sessions on instructional technology and sessions on student mental-health strategies — and cross-cultural projects involving marketing students.
The city commission acknowledged the organizers and encouraged public participation in the April 30 fundraiser.
