Baltimore Sister Cities

Apr 1 / Hanami: Baltimore’s Cherry Blossom Picnic

Join us for the annual Hanami picnic hosted by the Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee

Hanami community picnic in Baltimore - girl with kites by trees with cherry blossoms, and people sitting on blankets under cherry blossokm trees enjoying their picnics.

Date: April 1, 2023
Time: 2-4pm ET
Location: Fort McHenry Park, 2400 E. Fort Ave, Baltimore MD 21230
Admission: Free. Bring your own picnic.
More information & to register: Eventbrite page

Hanami is the Japanese tradition of enjoying cherry blossoms in full bloom with a picnic under the cherry trees. Fort McHenry park has two lovely groves of cherry trees for us to relax under. Bring your blanket, a picnic lunch, and cultural curiosity. Baltimore-Kawasaki committee members will be ready with some extra Japanese finger foods and tea.

You can park in the Fort McHenry parking lot and walk through the Visitor’s Center to reach the East Lawn Cherry Tree Grove. Beer and sake are allowed as per park rules. We anticipate good weather but, rain or shine, we will be present. And bring your camera for blossom selfies. The event is free but please register.

Organized by Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee (BKSCC)

Ryokucha Japanese Tea Tasting Workshop, preceding Hanami

Date: April 1, 2023
Time: 12-2pm ET
Location: McHenry Row Conference Center, 1215 E. Fort Ave, Baltimore MD 21230
More information & to purchase tickets: Eventbrite page

Nippon Motion hosts a Ryokucha Workshop with Japanese Green Tea. Learn about loose-leaf, matcha, and ready-to-drink tea. Sample over 10 authentic varieties. Receive a Japanese-made yunomi (ceramic tea cup). This is a great opportunity for both beginners and existing fans of Japanese tea to expand their knowledge and get first-hand experience with the world of Ryokucha!

The Ryokucha Workshop takes place near Fort McHenry Park, so attendees of the Ryokucha Workshop can come join the Hanami event in McHenry Park after the workshop.

Organized by Nippon Motion. Co-promoted by Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee (BKSCC).

Go ahead and plan a great day of Japanese culture — start with a Ryokucha Workshop from 12-2pm and head over to the Hanami picnic from 2-4pm. Wonderful scents, sights, and tastes!

Baltimore+Rotterdam: Designing Cities

Baltimore+Rotterdam: Designing Cities - Conversation Series 2022. Baltimore Inner Harbor and Rotterdam waterfront by the Erasmus Bridge, looking towards Rotterdam Zuid.

A webinar series all about design — spanning Baltimore and Rotterdam!

Each week this spring, two design groups, one from Baltimore (Maryland, USA) and one from Rotterdam (the Netherlands), paired up to discuss architecture, urban design, and how design and policy can improve the built environment for all residents. We observed how different architecture offices operate, to design in the city and improve the inhabitants’ experience of space. This is a unique opportunity to hear how different types of architecture firms approach design in two cities with similar historical legacies (working class cities with port industries).

Designers were paired up to reflect similarities in size, projects and methodology. Through presentations, moderated dialogues, and exchanges with the audience, we explored if and how the environment (historical, political, economical, social, environmental, economies, …) is truly determinant to the fail or success of a project and what that really means for the city, its residents and their well-being.

This series was designed and coordinated by Cristina Murphy, Assistant Professor at Morgan State University School of Architecture + Planning (MSU SA+P) and Adjunct Professor at Virginia Tech School of Architecture + Design’s Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center.

Dates: Every Tuesday from February 15 to April 12, 2022
Format: Online webinar; designers’ presentations followed by a moderated panel discussion and Q&A
AIA Continuing education credits: 1 LU

The series has ended, but you can watch recordings of each webinar below!

FEBRUARY 15

Jerome Gray Jerome C. Gray Architect (JCGA) (Baltimore)
Zico Lopes Spatial Codes – Studio for Architecture & Inclusion (Rotterdam)
Moderated by Roberto Rocco, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Spatial Planning and Strategy at Technical University Delft

Video recording: youtu.be/JMrRaw78Wg8
Event info page

FEBRUARY 22

Evan Wivell EastWing Architects (Baltimore)
Felix Madrazo IND [Inter.National.Design] (Rotterdam)
Moderated by coleman a. jordan Assistant Professor at Morgan State University School of Architecture + Planning (MSU SA+P)

Video recording: youtu.be/UZ3dpkwhASg
Event info page

MARCH 1

Pavlina Ilieva PI.KL Studio (Baltimore)
David ter Avest Urban Geographer; Lecturer, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences (RUAS) (Rotterdam)
Moderated by Thijs van Spaandonk Dean of Urban Design, Rotterdamse Academie van Bouwkunst (RAvB)

Video recording: youtu.be/a0DMfnkYeAI
Event info page

MARCH 8

Megan Elcrat Present Company (Baltimore)
Elina Karanastasi ExS Architecture (Rotterdam)
Moderated by Tonya Sanders, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Morgan State University School of Architecture + Planning (MSU SA+P)

Video recording: youtu.be/gSn4-O4E-TM

Event info page

MARCH 15

Paul Riley & Utku Akbulut Marshall Craft Associates (MCA) (Baltimore)
Duzan Doepel DoepelStrijkers (Rotterdam)
Moderated by Matteo Bettoni Barcode Architects
12-1:10pm ET (US) | 5-6:10pm CET (NL)

Video recording: youtu.be/M9JQtiA4-Vg

Event info page

MARCH 22

Steve Ziger Ziger|Snead Architects (Baltimore)
Jan Knikker MVRDV (Rotterdam)
Moderated by Sinisha Brdar Professor, Université du Québec à Montréal

Video recording: youtu.be/oyhBVyNgFXY

Event info page

MARCH 29

Taejun Kim Hord Coplan Macht (HCM) (Baltimore)
Maarten van Bremen GROUP A Architects (Rotterdam)
Moderated by Chris van Langen Program Manager for Spatial Design Action, Creative Industries Fund NL

Video recording: youtu.be/1ua84VHCMtc

Event info page

APRIL 5

Tyler Miller Gensler Baltimore (Baltimore)
Kees van Casteren Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) (Rotterdam)
Moderated by Marc Verheijen Rotterdam City Architect

Video recording: youtu.be/imszYff-lU8

Event info page

APRIL 12

Fiver Soraruf Design Collective(Baltimore)
Jan Jongert Superuse Studios (Rotterdam)
Moderated by Selina Abraham Doctoral Researcher, University of Amsterdam

Video recording: youtu.be/-bYhZOsUxlo

Event info page

RELATED WEBINAR SERIES

2023 webinar series

2021 webinar series

Co-hosted by Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC).
Event Partners: AIA Baltimore, Rotterdamse Academie van Bouwkunst (RAvB)

Logos of Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee, AIA Baltimore, Rotterdamse Academie van Bouwkunst, Morgan State University School of Architecture + Planning

A special thank you to these firms for having supported Morgan State University SA+P students in their Baltimore-Rotterdam activities via sponsorships in 2019-2020:

Penza Bailey Architects

Quinn Evans

CallisonRTKL Inc.

Twopoint Studio

BCT Architects

hord | coplan | macht

Jerome C. Gray Architect

Vertical Architecture Enterprises

Recent webinars

Did you miss any of our webinars? Recordings are available on Baltimore Sister Cities’ Youtube channel and they include:

Growth Opportunities for AgriTech between Maryland and the Netherlands (January 2022)
https://youtu.be/n_NKBwvQt60

Can We Show Empathy on Our Devices – with Rana el Kaliouby (April 2021)
https://youtu.be/R2jr0jw8_0U

Food Resilience in Maryland (May 2021)
https://youtu.be/_-WyWs2O6Dk

Our Home Too: Forum in Support of Asian American Pacific Islander Communities (May 2021)
https://youtu.be/XI38KYsLbpA

Photo collage of Asian Americans; Photos of the speakers; event title; partner logos

Jan 27 / Growth Opportunities for AgriTech between Maryland and the Netherlands

Indoor farm with racks of vegetables and purple grow lights; logos of event partners; title, date & time of the webinar

Webinar for Dutch and Maryland agtech companies interested in expanding operations or finding partners overseas. Topics include:

  • Overview of the AgTech landscape and expertise in both regions, with a focus on controlled environment agriculture and on cybersecurity in agriculture
  • Areas of opportunities for Maryland and Dutch companies
  • Resources and facilities available to support doing business in Maryland and the Netherlands

Event page

Video recording

Speakers include:

  • Signe Pringle / Deputy Secretary, Maryland Department of Commerce
  • Eric Egberts / CEO, Dutch Greenhouse Delta
  • Bert Feskens / Senior Security Programme Manager – Innovation Liaison, Security Delta (HSD)
  • Steve Connelly / Deputy Secretary, Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA)
  • Ewing McDowell / Maryland Department of Commerce
  • Chris Hlubb / Program Director, F3 Tech
  • Nina Lamba / Assistant Director, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET)
  • Andrew Rose / Managing Director, CyberAg
  • Andrew Kreinik / Maryland Department of Commerce
  • Rolf Karst / Project Manager Internationalization, InnovationQuarter
  • Mike Thielke (Moderator) / Executive Director, Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center (ESEC)

Co-organized by Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC).

BGE provides Green Grant for Baltimore Sister Cities educational program

BGE Green Grants logo

Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) has provided a BGE Green Grant of $2,500 to Baltimore Sister Cities for the “Operation Trash” educational exchange project.

In this project — a collaboration between the Baltimore Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC) and Kathie diStefano from Rotterdam-based Avalanche Arts — students from schools in Baltimore and Rotterdam engage in a virtual exchange centered around the topic of trash pollution, and conduct research about the trash in their communities. They study trash reduction and recycling strategies and make presentations to share with their counterparts overseas, and take part in a community cleanup. The program is designed to inspire them to become environment stewards for their communities. The next edition of Operation Trash is planned for spring of 2022 with middle school students.

Baltimore Sister Cities is grateful for the grant provided by BGE, as projects like Operation Trash would not be possible without their generous support.

For more information:

Maryland bluetech | greentech business delegation to Europe

Green-and blue-wave made out of curved lines and dots, superimposed on blue photographic background with molecule-style pattern. Maryland Commerce logo. Summary of the business mission. September 2022.

The Maryland Department of Commerce and several Maryland environmental tech and water tech companies are participating in a business delegation to the Netherlands, including Water Tech Europe trade show and other site visits, during the week of September 19 – 24, 2022.

The trip includes:

1. Participation in the Water Tech Europe trade expo and the accompanying Wetsus Congress at European Water Technology Week (EWTW) which brings together sessions and field visits focused on topics like sustainable water supply, wastewater treatment and reuse, circular economy, energy production from water, climate resilience, and new water sources. This is the place for professionals working on solutions for tomorrow’s water issues. EWTW attendees include universities, research institutes, innovative companies and corporate end-users, government representatives, and water clusters from Europe and around the world, including water clusters from the U.S. like the Milwaukee Water Council. European Water Technology Week takes place in Leeuwarden in the northeast region of the Netherlands. The Maryland Department of Commerce has a pavilion at Water Tech Europe for environmental tech businesses from Maryland.

2. Site visits — Maryland has planned networking opportunities and field visits to sites in The Hague / Rotterdam in the western region of the Netherlands for the delegation to learn about innovative technologies and meet potential business partners. The program is tailored to the focus sectors of the participating companies. Maryland Commerce consultants in Europe are providing free networking assistance to participants.

3. Maryland break-out session and networking event — Free, in-person event on September 22, 2022 at 5-8pm CET at Venture Café Rotterdam. An opportunity for Dutch entrepreneurs to meet the Maryland delegation and learn about opportunities to soft land their business in Maryland, your gateway to the U.S.A. Event info page

Delegation goals

  • Help Maryland firms explore business opportunities abroad
  • Find international business partners to bring innovative technologies to Maryland
  • Network with U.S. and European firms, innovation hubs, and research institutes
  • Raise the international profile of Maryland companies

Focus sectors

The program and topics is tailored to the focus areas of the participating companies, but it includes topics like:

  • Drinking water and wastewater management
  • Urban water management and climate resilience
  • Water in agriculture
  • Maritime technologies
  • Aquaculture
  • Renewable energy
  • Nature-based solutions for climate adaptation
  • Circular economy; water conservation and re-use technologies
  • Pollution; plastic soup
  • Digitalization

Potential site visits include:

  • Business networking events in Rotterdam/The Hague region
  • The Green Village at Delft Technical University (field lab for sustainable innovation)
  • Port of Rotterdam; Port XL maritime tech accelerator
  • Envirotech testing facilities
  • Stormwater water infrastructure; storm surge barriers
  • Aquaculture sites
  • In addition, the EWTW Wetsus Congress includes field trips related to resource recovery from wastewater, energy production from water, circular water systems, and horticulture. Tours start from WaterCampus in Leeuwarden.

Eligibility

  • Eligibility: Participation is open to Maryland firms — firms that have their business operations in Maryland.
  • Financial assistance: Maryland businesses can apply for the Export MD grant to cover a portion of their trip expenses (up to $5,000 reimbursement). The deadline to apply for this grant has passed.

Participating Maryland companies

Early Charm • Tetrahedron, Inc. • Innovatreat • Blue Sources • GaiaXus

Are you a Dutch company looking to do business in Maryland?

Maryland is the ideal place to expand your business to the USA, and for you to find Maryland partners to assist in addressing the environmental challenges facing us all.

Maryland has developed innovative programs and incentives to help international companies interested in developing a presence in the U.S. market, including the Maryland Global Gateway soft landing program: https://commerce.maryland.gov/softlanding which is available to companies in any sector, not only environmental technology.

The soft landing program is available year-round, but if you apply by Oct 31, 2022, your company may be eligible for additional financial assistance and support (press release about the Oct 31 application deadline)

For more information

Contact the delegation’s leader:
Andrew Kreinik, Regional Manager for Europe and Australia at Maryland Department of Commerce: andrew.kreinik@maryland.gov (or contact Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee for information).

Maryland Commerce’s blog post:
https://open.maryland.gov/blog/maryland-blue-tech-sector-on-full-display-at-european-water-technology-week

Learn more about doing business in Maryland:
https://open.maryland.gov/information-for/international-business

 

Logos of the Maryland companies in the delegation: Early Charm, Tetrahedron, Innovatreat, Blue Sources, GaiaXus
Logos of the promotion partners: Maryland Department of Commerce; BlueTechMD; Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister Cities

Sister Cities International Annual Conference

Date: July 15–16, 2021
Format: Virtual
Admission: Free (advance registration required)
More info & to register: www.sci-ac.org

This year’s theme is “Building Stronger Ties for an Interconnected World” and features breakout sessions on economic, education, humanitarian, sports, and other themes.

Food Resilience in Maryland

Empty plate with fork and knife. Event title, date, and logos of the participating organizations.

Did you miss our recent webinar about Food Resilience in Maryland? Watch the recording here: youtu.be/_-WyWs2O6Dk

Featuring these speakers:

About this event

Food insecurity is rampant in Baltimore, with nearly a quarter of the city’s residents struggling to acquire healthy, affordable food. While local urban farmers, religious leaders, and advocates are fighting for food justice in the city, accessibility and availability to food remains a concern to many residents. The COVID-19 pandemic has only served to exacerbate the problem by increasing the number of people in need.

In this webinar the problem of food insecurity is discussed. What is food insecurity/resilience? Whom does food insecurity primarily impact in Baltimore? What is Baltimore currently doing to move from food insecurity to food resilience? How has COVID-19 impacted food insecurity/resilience? How do we build resilient food systems in Baltimore?

And we encourage you to support the great work these organizations are doing to bring healthy food to our community:
Donate to Maryland Food Bank
Donate to Black Yield Institute

May 6 | Food Resilience in Maryland

Empty plate with fork and knife. Event title, date, and logos of the participating organizations.

Why are people hungry?

Food insecurity is rampant in Baltimore, with nearly a quarter of the city’s residents struggling to acquire healthy, affordable food. While local urban farmers, religious leaders, and advocates are fighting for food justice in the city, accessibility and availability to food remains a concern to many residents. The COVID-19 pandemic has only served to exacerbate the problem by increasing the number of people in need.

In this webinar the problem of food insecurity will be discussed. What is food insecurity/resilience? Whom does food insecurity primarily impact in Baltimore? What is Baltimore currently doing to move from food insecurity to food resilience? How has COVID-19 impacted food insecurity/resilience? How do we build resilient food systems in Baltimore?

Speakers

More information

Video recording of the event: youtu.be/_-WyWs2O6Dk

Event page: foodresilience.eventbrite.com

And we encourage you to support the great work these organizations are doing to bring healthy food to our community:
Donate to Maryland Food Bank
Donate to Black Yield Institute

Contact Baltimore Sister Cities


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Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. No goods or services were provided for this gift. Please consult your tax advisor regarding specific questions about your deductions.

 

Web site copyright © 2024 Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc.

logo-baltimoreBaltimore sister city committees operate under the auspices of the City of Baltimore’s Office of the Mayor.

 

Brandon M. Scott, Mayor

 

Previous mayor’s Dec 2015 press release about Baltimore Sister Cities.

 

Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. is a 501c3 organization incorporated in the State of Maryland.
Member of  Sister Cities International, Maryland Nonprofits, World Trade Center Institute, Visit Baltimore, & affiliate of Maryland International Education Consortium.
Recipient of 2016 Innovation Award from Sister Cities International.