Oregon International School Builds Educational Bridges in Ukraine

The Oregon International School (OIS), hosted by the Baker School District in Baker City, Oregon, is an internationally focused charter school dedicated to fostering cultural exchange and long-term student relationships. With a vision of “having two sister schools on each continent,” OIS strives to connect with like-minded schools to strengthen global ties through student exchange programs.

Following the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, OIS reached out to the U.S. Commercial Service in Portland, Oregon (CS Portland) seeking ways to support displaced Ukrainian students. CS Portland collaborated with CS Frankfurt to align OIS’s goals, facilitating coordination with CS Kiev. Through these efforts, a virtual introduction service was organized to connect OIS with a prominent Ukrainian agent.

As a result of this collaboration, OIS signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ukrainian agent and hosted ten Ukrainian students in the fall of 2022. This initiative underscores OIS’s commitment to building bridges and fostering cultural understanding in times of global need

“This agreement is extremely meaningful to us, and is arguably the biggest thing to happen to our community. Through the U.S. Commercial Service’s quick introduction, follow up, facilitation, and our relentless efforts to triangulate support for these students in our community, our town of 10,000 has been able to play a direct, tangible, supporting role during these difficult times. I am proud of our efforts, of our impact on the lives of these students, and hopefully the comfort their families will feel knowing their children are in a safe place. Thank you, U.S. Commercial Service – none of this would have happened without you!”  ~ Mark Witty, Superintendent of Baker School District