Last year’s host family for the Orinda/Tábor Sister City student exchange gathers with visiting student Amy Zahradníčková of Tábor, Czech Republic. (L-R) Lynn Dubinsky (Liz’s mom), Liz Daoust, Phoebe Daoust, Annie Daoust, Lucy Daoust and Amy Zahradníčková. The Daoust family hosted Amy during her semester at Miramonte High School as part of the long-running cultural exchange program between Orinda and Tábor.
For more than a quarter century, the sister city relationship between Orinda and Tábor has created meaningful cultural connections, student exchanges and lifelong friendships between the two communities.
Established in the late 1990s through the efforts of community leaders, including former Orinda mayor Bobbie Landers, the partnership is supported by the Orinda/Tábor Sister City Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting international understanding and cultural exchange.
The program is part of the broader global network of Sister Cities International, which encourages citizen diplomacy between communities around the world.
Over the past 26 years, the foundation has coordinated a wide range of exchanges and community programs, but the centerpiece is the visiting student program.
Each year, one high school student from Tábor is selected through a competitive process to spend a semester in Orinda attending Miramonte High School while living with a local host family.
The student is chosen based on an English-language essay, interviews and academic evaluations before traveling to the United States.
According to foundation chair Bobbie Landers, the student for the 2026–27 school year is currently in the selection process in the Czech Republic.
“At this time, we don’t know if it will be a boy or a girl,” Landers said. “We would love to have a host family in advance of the student’s arrival in August.”
Last year’s host family was Liz and Mark Daoust and their three daughters, who welcomed student Amy Zahradníčková from Tábor into their home.
“Hosting Amy was a great – albeit busy – experience for our family,” Liz Daoust said. “We enjoyed bringing another kid into our already crazy school, sports and activities’ lifestyle, and we learned so much about her, the Czech Republic and her culture while she was here. The cultural exchange is real.”
During her stay, Zahradníčková became part of the family’s daily life while also experiencing some of the highlights of the United States.
“Our girls bonded with Amy over many things – music, reading, travel and sports – and developed wonderful connections with her that will last a lifetime,” Daoust said. “She got to visit New York City, Disneyland, Tahoe and Colorado, but also spent time around the dinner table chatting and being part of our everyday family life.”
The experience also gave the Daoust family a deeper appreciation for the responsibilities involved in hosting.
“You are their de facto parent while they are here,” Daoust said. “It takes patience, open-mindedness and coordination with school, activities and social events. But it’s incredibly rewarding.”
Daoust encourages other families in Orinda to consider opening their homes to future students.
“Host,” she said. “It is such a meaningful experience for everyone involved. The Sister City organization is very supportive, and other Miramonte families help as well.”
The experience provides students with an opportunity to immerse themselves in American culture while sharing their own traditions and perspectives with local families and classmates.
In return, Orinda residents gain a window into Czech culture and develop lasting relationships that often continue long after the exchange ends.
The sister city relationship also extends beyond student exchanges.
Over the years, Orinda residents have traveled to Tábor for cultural visits and official delegations, while Czech visitors have come to Orinda to participate in community programs and celebrations.
Community events also help keep the partnership visible locally. The foundation helped start Orinda’s gingerbread house contest and now participates in the city’s annual Winterfest celebration with the Parks and Recreation Department and the Orinda Historical Society.
“We felt that Orinda needed some holiday activities,” Landers said of the program’s early involvement with the event.
The City of Orinda has also recognized the foundation’s contributions. In early 2026, the organization received a mayor’s Award of Excellence acknowledging its decades of work fostering international friendship and cultural exchange.
For organizers, the program represents a form of grassroots diplomacy.
By connecting families, students and civic leaders across continents, the Orinda/Tábor partnership continues to demonstrate how small communities can play a role in building global understanding – one exchange at a time.
Families interested in hosting or learning more about the program can contact foundation chair Bobbie Landers at 925.788.1279.
