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| A delegation of seven students
and two instructors from Orsa, Sweden,
found a warm welcome from Minnesotans on
their recent cultural exchange visit with
the Cambridge Campus of Anoka-Ramsey Community
College (ARCC). The trip marked the latest
exchange between ARCC and its Swedish sister
college, the Orsa Lärcentrum. |
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Lars Naas, an instructor
at the Orsa Lärcentrum and member
of the Swedish delegation that recently
visited the Cambridge Campus of Anoka-Ramsey
Community College (ARCC), presents a
green Dala Horse from Orsa, Sweden, to
ARCC Media Specialist Bonnie Boese.
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The families of six ARCC
staff and faculty welcomed the delegates
into their homes for their 11-day visit.
Another 16 ARCC volunteer tour guides
help ensure that the group saw a broad
view of life in Minnesota.
In addition to many activities on the
Cambridge Campus, the group’s itinerary
included such varied stops as the Isanti
County Historical Society and the Edblad
Log Cabin in Cambridge, the Audubon Center
in Sandstone, the State Capitol in St.
Paul, the Wild River Bison Ranch in Rush
City, the American Swedish Institute
in Minneapolis, and the Mall of America
in Bloomington. The delegation also met
with city officials in four Minnesota
cities: Cambridge, St. Paul, Braham,
and Dalbo.
The ties between ARCC and Orsa Lärcentrum
grew out of a historical connection between
Minnesota’s Isanti County and the
Dalarna region in Sweden. Thousands of
Swedes from the Dalarna area immigrated
to Isanti County between 1850 and 1925,
earning the county its nickname, “Dalarna
of America.” More recently, three
communities in Isanti County have developed
sister relationships with towns in Dalarna:
Cambridge with Rätvik, Isle with Älvadalan,
and Mora with its Swedish namesake, Mora.
Visits between delegations from the two
schools have been arranged since 1998.
The two schools now alternate years for
these exchange visits. |
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ARCC Dean of Educational
Services Deidra Peaslee presents a glass
artwork to Lars Naas, an instructor at
the Orsa Lärcentrum and member of
the Swedish delegation that recently
visited the ARCC Cambridge Campus. The
artwork was created by ARCC art instructor
Craig Campbell.
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ARCC Director of Academic
Support Services Darla McCann, who served
as
coordinator for the exchange group,
found the visit to be fun and educational
for all. “We had the chance to
learn about our similarities and differences
in so many areas,” McCann said. “For
instance, I was surprised to hear that
they feel our students take education
more seriously than their students,
because our students have to pay for
books and classes at the college level,
and their government pays for theirs.”
More than just conversation and camaraderie
were shared during the visit. The Swedish
delegation presented the college with
a green Dala Horse from Orsa. Each
Dala horse represents an area of Sweden.
On a previous exchange visit, the college
received an Orange Dala Horse from
Mora. In exchange, the college presented
the group with a glass artwork created
by ARCC art instructor Craig Campbell.
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