Exploring Each Other’s Worlds: The Tulsa–Celle Student Exchange
Students from Celle, Germany, one of Tulsa’s nine Sister Cities, spent the past week experiencing Tulsa life firsthand as part of a long-running exchange with Riverfield Country Day School. The visit marks 25 years of friendship between Tulsa and Celle, which officially became Sister Cities in 2000.
During their stay, the German students stayed with local host families, attended classes at Riverfield, and got a taste of Oklahoma culture by visiting the Tulsa State Fair, attending high school football games, shopping, and joining in seasonal activities like pumpkin carving and exploring a haunted castle for Halloween. One of the biggest highlights was trying pickleball for the first time, which quickly became a group favorite.
Earlier this year, Riverfield students traveled to Celle, Germany, for the first half of the exchange. While abroad, they attended classes at Kaiserin Auguste-Viktoria Gymnasium (KAVG), stayed with local host families, and explored some of Germany’s most iconic sites. Their journey took them from the Kölner Dom in Cologne to the Deutsches Eck in Koblenz, the “Alamo of Germany,” and Heidelberg Castle, before heading south to walk in the footsteps of salt miners in Berchtesgaden.
The students were also hosted at Celle City Hall, where they toured the city’s historic Ratsherrensaal (Council Chamber), a meeting space dating back more than 400 years. During the visit, they were welcomed by Jannis Timm and Mayor Dr. Jörg Nigge, who shared insights about local government and Celle’s long history as a center of culture and commerce.
“Teenagers seeing their world through someone else’s eyes, suddenly their world is both smaller and also larger. Lifelong friendships and understanding happen with immediacy.”
The two-way exchange gives students from both cities the chance to experience life abroad, learn new customs, and build friendships that reflect the mission of Tulsa Global Alliance and the power of citizen diplomacy. This partnership shows how Sister City relationships come to life through education and everyday experiences. When young people connect across cultures, they strengthen the bonds between Tulsa and Celle and help ensure that citizen diplomacy remains a vibrant part of our city’s story.
