NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — As a part of New Orleans’ Cultural Exchange Scholarship program, Mayor LaToya Cantrell will soon welcome French representatives and citizens to the city.
Happening Thursday, Jan. 4, members of the Rotary Club of Orléans France and the Orléans Jeanne d’Arc Association (France) will meet with Cantrell and partners, Rotary Club of New Orleans and Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc (NOLA) at Gallier Hall.
The clubs formed a sisterhood on Jan. 6, 2018, in an effort to connect two communities that hold similar ties to the “heroic and historic” Joan of Arc. The agreement was signed by former Mayor Mitch Landrieu and Mayor Olivier Carre of Orléans on her 606th birthday.
Years later, in 2022, a scholarship exchange program was created. The initiative sends two students, also known as “Joans” to each sister city to learn more about the cultural ties between them.
In June 2023, the New Orleans Rotary Club sent Emmeline Meyer to participate in French events such as Fêtes des Jeanne d’Arc.
From Jan. 3 to 9, French citizen Clairvie Quesne will land in New Orleans to part take in the Joan of Arc Parade on Jan. 6. Quesne will also be immersed in the culturally rich sights the city has to offer including The Historic New Orleans Collection, L’Union Française, The National WWII Museum and more.
Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter.