Sister City Exchange
Programs & Initiatives
Connecting Boulder and Ramat HaNegev through life-saving emergency rescue partnerships, youth STEM exchanges, academic research, and grassroots women’s empowerment.
Featured Collaborations
High-impact civic, emergency, and youth partnerships connecting our two communities.
Public Safety & Rescue
Search and Rescue: Boulder & Ramat HaNegev
Volunteer Teams Saving Lives in Rugged Wilderness
In November 2019, the Boulder-Ramat HaNegev Sister City Initiative joined forces with Rocky Mountain Search and Rescue to raise funds for our sister search and rescue organization in Ramat HaNegev.
The Negev Search and Rescue Unit built and equipped a dedicated operations base in Sde Boker to conduct its life-saving missions. The all-volunteer unit responds to approximately 80 calls per year, locating lost hikers and providing technical evacuations in extreme desert canyons.
Civic Dialogue & Coexistence
WomenTalk: A Jewish & Bedouin Initiative
Women Building Cross-Cultural Bridges
Women from the Jewish community in Ramat HaNegev joined with Bedouin women in nearby unrecognized villages to build trust, mutual understanding, and durable relationships between communities.
In addition to fostering deep interpersonal bonds, participants share language skills, vocational insights, and leadership training. Our Boulder Sister City initiative is proud to support and help expand this bridge-building model.
Youth & STEM
Youth STEM Exchange: High School Robotics
Inspiring Next-Generation Engineers and Coders
Building on Boulder’s thriving tech ecosystem and Ramat HaNegev’s acclaimed high school robotics program, this exchange pairs students and mentors from both regions.
High school teams participate in cooperative design sprints, joint problem-solving challenges, and international FIRST Robotics competitions, building technical mastery and global camaraderie.
Sustainability & Agriculture
High Desert Agricultural Research & Climate Innovation
Frontier Arid-Land Farming & Water Technologies
Ramat HaNegev is home to world-renowned research stations specializing in hyper-arid farming, brackish water irrigation, and advanced drip systems. Both Colorado and the Negev face escalating aridification and water stewardship challenges.
Our initiative bridges agronomy leaders, researchers at CU Boulder, and the Ramat HaNegev Desert Agro-Research Center to share breakthroughs in drought-resilient crops and precision agriculture.
Academic & Cultural Bridges
Academic & Cultural Exchanges
Fostering institutional, artistic, and people-to-people connections across our communities.
Boulder JCC & Negev Exchange
Collaborative programming with the Boulder Jewish Community Center, featuring visiting Israeli educators, cultural showcases, and youth activities.
Ben-Gurion University Partnership
Academic research exchanges between CU Boulder and BGU’s Sde Boker desert research institutes, focusing on solar power and hydrology.
Delegations to Ramat HaNegev
Civic delegations from Boulder visiting the Negev to explore the region’s innovative agriculture, higher education institutions, and outdoor initiatives.
Initiatives in Pipeline
Programs in Development
Collaborative initiatives currently being planned between our two communities.
School Supplies & Textbooks
Providing learning materials, supplies, and books for Bedouin students at the Neve Midbar Nitzana School in Ramat HaNegev.
Hebrew Ulpan & Outdoors
Immersive Hebrew study with the Midreshet Ben Gurion Field School, staying at Kibbutz Sede Boqer and hiking the Negev desert.
Adopt-a-Trail & Litter Remediation
Enabling Boulder businesses and individuals to sponsor cleanup and trail maintenance in Ramat HaNegev, sharing environmental best practices.
Youth Pen Pal Correspondence
Facilitating student-to-student correspondence between classrooms in Ramat HaNegev and Boulder to build early cross-cultural friendships.
Search & Rescue Joint Training
Joint technical workshops on equipment, search canine coordination, and backcountry evacuation techniques for volunteer rescue squads.
Have an Idea for a Sister City Program?
We are always eager to partner with local Boulder educators, researchers, artists, and outdoor leaders.