The last week of school is a great time for teachers and students to get creative.

To fill in the last few days in his class, Fountain Hills Middle School social studies teacher Chris Peterson and his seventh-grade students went on a virtual tour of the town’s Sister Cities. With the help of Google Earth and FHSC Committee Chair Christine Colley, students “traveled” to places that share in community development with Fountain Hills.

FHMS students virtually explored Fountain Hills’ Sister Cities of Dierdorf, Germany; Zamosc, Poland; Kasterlee, Belgium and Ataco, El Salvador. Each town has its own unique flair and the local school’s relationship with these towns and their schools is enriching for all, according to Peterson.

High School teacher Luke Salzman and Peterson work with the FHSC program and said they look forward to this current group of students participating in future student exchanges.

Two years ago, Fountain Hills students hosted students from Zamosc and soon will be hosting students from Germany.

Sister Cities is an international nonprofit citizen diplomacy network. It creates and strengthens partnerships between communities in the United States and those in other countries through the establishment of “sister cities.” A total of 1,800 cities, states, and counties are partnered in 138 countries around the world.

The U.S. Sister City program began in 1956 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed the people-to-people, citizen diplomacy initiative.

For more about Fountain Hills Sister Cities and membership information, go to fountainhillssistercities.org.