Sixteen students from North and South Medford high schools along with two chaperones will be heading to Alba, Italy, to celebrate a 64-year tradition with Medford’s sister city. 

The students and chaperones are scheduled to fly to Italy on Friday. Once in Italy, local students will exchange cultures with their peers from Alba, living and experiencing life with an Italian host family and getting to see the beauty and historic culture of the Mediterranean country. 

The local contingent will be abroad for two weeks and get to tour Alba’s underground, visit city hall, tour the Ferrero chocolate factory, tour a winery, visit castles and cathedrals and even check out nearby city Turin and Italy’s capital, Rome. 

The group will return home April 5. 

Medford and Alba share a spot in history as former Medford Mayor John Snider and former Alba Mayor Osvaldo Cagnasso took part in one of the first-ever satellite telephone calls in 1962.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s “People to People” program in 1960 brought Alba and Medford together as sister cities with the objective of improving diplomatic relations while forming long-lasting, international relationships.

The two cities have been exchanging students ever since. 

To learn more about the Medford Alba Sister City Association, visit medfordalba.com.