2024 Mesa Youth Ambassadors Exchange

Application has now closed.

Every year two Year 12 or 13 students and their families represent Upper Hutt in an international student experience with our sister city, Mesa, Arizona, USA. 

This programme is a home-hosted experience between Mesa City and Upper Hutt City. It is designed to be an inclusive cultural exchange to grow the worldview of our rangatahi, and to strengthen the international friendship between the two cities. It seeks to provide opportunities for young people to gain an increased sense of identity through exploring culture and diversity on an international scale. 

The Council provides for the cost of airfares and travel insurance for the two selected candidates to travel to Mesa in April and also arranges for some local events when we host our counterparts from Mesa in June.  

How does this exchange work?

The exchange will take place between April and June 2024.

Our two selected rangatahi will travel to Mesa in April 2024 and be hosted by the selected Mesa youth and their families. They will attend school for approximately one week before the summer break and experience a range of organised activities when they are in Mesa.

Our Upper Hutt families will then reciprocate and host our American counterparts when they travel to Upper Hutt in June 2024. The students from Mesa will attend the colleges in Upper Hutt for some of the time and the rest of the time they will enjoy activities that promote the culture and history of New Zealand.   

Visit here for more information about Mesa City, Arizona.

Visit here for more information about the Mesa Sister Cities Association. 

For more information, please contact our Community Advisors, Whero West or Cat Hamlin

Mesa Youth Ambassador Exchange 2023

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