Letters Across the Ocean: Pasadena Students and Their Pen Pals in Dakar-Plateau

The Dakar-Plateau pen pal program links two classrooms an ocean apart. Students at Norma Coombs Elementary School, part of the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD), write letters to pen pals in Dakar-Plateau, Senegal. Children on both sides share pieces of their daily lives and build real friendships across cultures.

How the exchange works

Ms. Annaliese Liberto, the teacher who organized the exchange, guides her students as they write thoughtful letters to their pen pals. The two groups write in different languages. Ms. Emma Franks translates each letter, so both sides can fully understand one another.

A day with the letters

On Thursday, May 22, 2025, students at Norma Coombs gathered to read the letters and stories sent by their friends in Dakar-Plateau. Photos from that day are on our Travel & Penpal Program page.

Why it matters

Dakar-Plateau is one of Pasadena’s six sister cities. The pen pal exchange turns that partnership into something children can hold in their hands: a letter with a name, a story and a new friend. Learn about all six cities in our guide to Pasadena’s sister cities.

More for young creators: the 2027 YAAS

Sister Cities International, our national organization, runs the Young Artists and Authors Showcase (YAAS) each year. The 2027 theme is “A Tapestry of Cultures and the Threads That Connect Us.” Students aged 12 to 18 can enter classic art, digital art, photography, essays, poetry or original music. The deadline is April 1, 2027. Full rules are on the Sister Cities International YAAS page.

Frequently asked questions

Start a friendship by letter. Interested in a pen pal exchange for your class or family? Get in touch with PSCC.