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Denver’s first sister city was Brest, France, an alliance formed in 1948 when schoolchildren here raised money for the war-ravaged European town. It’s also the second-oldest sister city relationship in the United States. Earlier this week, a pair of schools in Colorado furthered the connection between the two countries. The language-immersion charter, Global Village Academy, received an award from French Ambassador to the United States Philippe Etienne. The ceremony was part of a whirlwind trip to the state for Etienne, who spoke with Colorado Matters about the growing importance of multilingualism, and how France and Colorado are forging partnerships in education and technology.