LIBERIA, Costa Rica — Leaders from Tyler’s civic and education communities joined representatives of Liberia and Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica, this week to create a new sister cities partnership.
Papers were signed to cement the partnership in the late afternoon Tuesday. The group of people involved toured Liberia earlier in the day.
Liberia’s oldest street dates back to 1769.
The people who live here slowly are bringing tired homes back to life, and they juggle their historical ties with their desire to grow.
Original telephones sit next to free Wi-Fi stickers. A few blocks over, a church that held its first Mass in 1866 has been restored inside, but the exterior hasn’t changed.
Guanacaste Province is big on education, with a literacy rate topping 90 percent.
The Tyler group toured the Adelita Munoz Special Education School of Liberia. It’s so old that no one knows when it opened.
A new design is in the works, which is expected to be wider, bigger and better, although principal Eria Cambronero said the plan still is short of funding.
The school relies on volunteers, some from as far away as Canada.
Now that the sister city papers have been signed, Liberia leaders hope they can learn from Tyler’s education system.
“Education,” Liberia Mayor Luis Castaneda said following the ceremony. “There’s a great opportunity in the province of Guanacaste for example. That’s one area of the province that everyone is working toward.”
Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass said, “They care about their communities, and they want to make sure their citizens have every opportunity to better themselves. That’s an exciting statement for any country, and I think it’s one we can emulate in the United States.”
Liberia also has its hands full getting ready for the upcoming World Cup for girls younger than 17.
Liberia leaders also plan to visit Tyler.
Tyler also has sister cities in Poland, Japan, and Mexico.
Liberia was selected based on the mission work done by students from The University of Texas at Tyler and Tyler Junior College.
Tyler Sister Cities 