Bridges are so much more than simply connecting point A to point B. They captivate and enthrall us and some even seem to defy the laws of physics, but for author and librarian, Katharine Branning bridges are also conduits of ideas and values. For over 30 years Branning, author of the new book An American Woman’s Letters to Turkey: Yes, I Would Love Another Glass of Tea, has travelled annually to Turkey. Her trips have allowed her to better understand her own Christian spirituality, and values of beauty, art and nature.
Turkish Cultural Foundation agreed to fund a new agreement with WACA to continue the program that brings Turkey to American educators around the nation. The 3-part program, which includes a teachers workshop on Turkey, a TCF-sponsored and organized Teachers' Study Tour to Turkey and public programming on Turkish culture, called "Portraits of Turkey" now enters its fifth year. 
Eight American students had their first international experience in Turkey this summer, where they participated in AFS-USA’s Faces of America program on scholarships from The American Turkish Society and partnering community-based youth organizations. The students, six of whom are from New York City, stayed with Turkish families in Bursa, Istanbul, Izmir, Samsun and Karadeniz Eregli.
