2014 U.S.-China Sister Cities Awards

Opportunity for your U.S.-China sister city relationship to shine!

The 2014 U.S.-China Sister Cities Awards highlights your U.S.-China sister city relationship’s achievements and brings international recognition to your community’s contributions to building people-to-people ties between the two countries. U.S. and Chinese cities with a formally recognized sister city partnership can apply for the Awards.

Winners will be recognized at a special ceremony during the 2014 U.S.-China Sister Cities Conference, March 26-28 in Washington D.C., celebrating the the 35th anniversary of the first U.S.-China sister city pairing. The 2014 U.S.-China Conference will connect government, business leaders, and citizen diplomats from the U.S. and China to examine how U.S.-Chinese sister cities relationships have been used historically, to examine new and exciting opportunities, and to explore new sister city partnerships.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE AWARDS APPLICATION FORM. Please carefully review the eligibility, requirements, submission, and application guidelines below before submitting your application.

Deadline for submission is September 30, 2013.

Award Categories:

U.S.-China sister city programs can be nominated in the following categories:

  • Longest U.S.-China Sister City Relationship Award
  • Community Involvement Award
  • Youth Award
  • Arts & Culture Award
  • Economic Development Award
  • Energy and Sustainable Development Award
  • Best Overall Award
  • Most Innovative Award
  • Best Individual Award

Eligibility:

  • U.S. cities that have Chinese sister cities; Chinese cities that have U.S. sister cities.  
  • U.S. states that have Chinese sister states; U.S. states that have Chinese sister states.

Requirements:

  • U.S.–Chinese sister cities must jointly submit applications together in both English and Mandarin Chinese. 
  • Outstanding Individual application must be nominated by the sister city organization.

Submission: 

1) Please decide if the U.S. city or the Chinese city will submit the complete application. 

  1. If the U.S. city submits, please send the application to: [email protected]
  2. If the Chinese city submits, please send the application to: [email protected]
  3. In the subject line, please include city/state names and category.

2) A complete application package will include:

  1. A completed Application Form. CLICK HERE to download the form.
  2. 2-page maximum narrative Word document that explains your program, activities, or project. Please pay attention to the different questions below for the specific category to which you are applying.
  3. 3-5 pictures (JPEG, PNG, GIF formats only, with a 1-2 sentence caption below)
  4. English and Mandarin Chinese versions of each application.   
  5. Optional: 3 minute video about your program

3) All sister cities may submit more than one application. For application in each category, please include the complete application package.

4) Deadline for submission is September 30, 2013.

Instructions for Application:

  • Please select one category and provide a summary that addresses the questions from that category.  The category selected must be the same category that is on the application form.
  • Please keep the summary at 2 pages MAXIMUM, single spaced.

1) Longest U.S.-China Sister City Relationship:

  • How long have you had your U.S.-China sister city relationship?
  • How have you maintained and sustained your relationship?

2) Community Involvement Award:

  • Please explain the activities implemented by your sister city organizations to encourage greater involvement from your communities.
  • How many different sectors from your community are involved with sister city activities and programs?
  • How do you publicize or broadcast your activities to promote greater community involvement?  How does your community respond to this publicity?
  • How do you coordinate your activities for community involvement with your sister city?
  • What is the impact of the sister city activities on municipal matters in the cities?  Have exchanges or programs with your sister cities led to changes in policy, new discussions of addressing urban issues, etc.?

3) Youth:

  • Please explain the Youth program between your sister cities.
  • How does your Youth program benefit your communities and promote mutual understanding and cooperation?
  • How many international participants take part in your Youth program?
  • How many local youth organizations and local youths participate in your Youth program?

4) Arts & Culture:

  • Please explain the Arts & Culture program between your sister cities.
  • Please list the local arts and culture organizations that are involved with your sister cities’ Arts & Culture program.
  • How does your Arts & Culture program benefit your communities and promote cultural understanding between your sister cities?
  • How many international participants take part in your Arts & Culture program?
  • Has your Arts & Culture program won additional awards?

5) Economic Development:

  • Please explain the Economic Development activities and program between your sister cities.
  • Please list the local businesses involved in your sister cities organization.
  • How many international participants take part in the Economic Development activities between your sister cities?
  • What is the economic impact of your economic development activities for your community (%of GDP/year, new business development due to sister cities, job creation, etc.)?

6) Energy and Sustainable Development:

  • Please explain the Energy and Sustainable Development activities between your sister cities.
  • Please list the local organizations that are involved with your sister cities’ Energy and Sustainable Development activities.
  • How many international participants take part in your Energy and Sustainable Development activities?
  • What is the impact of your Energy and Sustainable Development activities for your communities (% of energy consumed by city affected, greener buildings, etc.)?

7) Best Overall:

  • Please explain your sister city relationship and all of the different programs that you have, including programming in the areas of Arts & Culture, Youth, Economic Development, Energy and Sustainable Development, etc.
  • Please list all of the different local organizations that participate in your sister city activities.
  • How does your relationship benefit mutual understanding and cooperation between your sister cities?
  • Has your relationship or your programs served as a model for other sister cities before?
  • How do you sustain and maintain your programs?
  • How do your programs benefit the local communities?
  • How many international participants take part in your programs? 

8) Most Innovative:

  • How does your sister city relationship discover and identify new areas of cooperation?
  • How do you apply innovative ideas and methods to your different programs?
  • What are some obstacles that you have had to face in order to incorporate new and innovative ideas into your programs?  How did you overcome those obstacles?
  • How has innovation in your sister city relationship affected members and participants in your sister city programs?

9) Best Individual Award:

  • What are the contributions that this individual has made to the sister city relationship and both the U.S. and Chinese sister cities?
  • How has this individual broadened the sister city relationship?
  • How has this individual strengthened the sister city relationship?