A group of 17 students from St. Louis’ sister city of Bogor, Indonesia, visited Lindbergh schools Oct. 22-26, to meet their Facebook friends from Laurice Badino’s LEAP social studies class and learn more about American school and ways of life.

During their visit, students shared musical customs as Truman orchestra students played a song and the students from Sekolah Menengah Pertama Negeri 1 Bogor school performed a traditional folk dance. Both principals also signed a Memorandum of Understanding, committing to the continuation of cultural exchange between the two schools. That relationship is already continuing as Truman sixth-graders connect online with a new group of students, and eighth-graders connect through collaborative projects in their challenge science class.

The students from Truman Middle School first connected online last year as part of the St. Louis Sister City Cultural Exchange Program, which is sponsored by the World Trade Center St. Louis. Badino’s eighth-graders in the Lindbergh Eager Achievers Program (LEAP) for gifted students set up a Facebook site where the two classes communicated and learned about life in their respective countries.

During their visit, the Indonesian students also shadowed students at Lindbergh High School, attended a football game, tasted Italian food on the Hill and experienced American entertainment at Six Flags.