ODESSA, Texas — A new pen pal program is connecting sister cities worlds apart.
Over 100 students at Odessa Collegiate Academy have been connected to students in Odesa, Ukraine since December.
Chris Mead, a retired senior vice president of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, brought the idea forward to the Odessa Chamber of Commerce last fall.
The program was inspired by Dr. Vasyl Taras, a Ukrainian-born professor working at the University of North Carolina.
Mikal Crowder started the matching process in his World Geography class, and it has quickly expanded.
Now students are building friendships and learning about lives a world apart as they contact the Ukrainian students by mail and email.