Exchange Trips Provide Amazing Connections
The scene at a recent Town Hall was striking: one group of exchange students from Argentina saying hello, another from Turkey bidding farewell. Both groups received hearty rounds of applause and appreciation. Clearly, our community has embraced these visitors, and they have been wonderful guests in our school.
Eight students and two faculty members from one of Turkey's most outstanding and selective schools, the Uskudar American Academy, graced our campus durnig the last two weeks of February. They stayed with generous CA host families all over the metro area, accompanying their host student to school. In turn, in March five of our students will go to Istanbul to stay with host families there and attend UAA for two weeks. I have the wonderful opportunity of escorting these students to their destination; Tom Thorpe will join us later and escort them back home at the end of spring break. What was remarkable to me was the immediacy with which the students connected, truly breaking down cultural barriers and sharing experiences from their own worlds, some 6000 miles away. It may seem clichéd, but truly some lifetime friendships were forged during this time together, and I know our students walked away thinking "these kids are a lot like me."
The Argentinians hail from the St. Andrew's School of Buenos Aires. CA's five students (now seniors) attended that school last June for three weeks, immersing themselves in the language and culture of the region. Now the host students and two of their teachers have come to Colorado, just in time to attend their first-ever school dance: our Winterfest!
Meg Hill, who has helped coordinate this exchange, recently told me that "The reciprocity of our exchange program with the St. Andrew's School in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is part of what makes this cultural experience so rich. . . . As the bonds of friendship were already strong when the group arrived, these authentic relationships provided a strong framework for the Argentinian students when they began attending classes on Monday, shadowing their hosts. Of course, they have been especially welcome in our Spanish classes, and much sharing and laughter has resulted from those encounters. Our entire school community can benefit from cultural exchanges such as these. When we walk the talk of diversity, inclusion and cultural competence, exchange programs certainly fit the bill."
We have been fortunate to expand and solidify our exchange program thanks to the efforts of Forbes Cone, Daniel Lopez and a handful of dedicated teachers who have led the charge. Andres Roblero and Meg Hill (Argentina), Tom Thorpe (Turkey) and Aaron Thomas (Scotland) have helped ensure the quality of the experiences, as well as handling the myriad of logistical matters that exchange programs require.
Meanwhile, our global travel program also supports our ongoing commitment to a small village in Haiti, where CA has helped the non-profit The Road To Hope in its efforts to build a new school in the central plateau of that island nation. Sixteen students and six faculty members will be returning there in March. We also have an exciting photography-based trip to Spain this summer. Led by Jesse Myers and Miten Patel, students will be exploring several historical sites of that European country, recording their experiences with their digital cameras.
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Eight students and two faculty members from one of Turkey's most outstanding and selective schools, the Uskudar American Academy, graced our campus durnig the last two weeks of February. They stayed with generous CA host families all over the metro area, accompanying their host student to school. In turn, in March five of our students will go to Istanbul to stay with host families there and attend UAA for two weeks. I have the wonderful opportunity of escorting these students to their destination; Tom Thorpe will join us later and escort them back home at the end of spring break. What was remarkable to me was the immediacy with which the students connected, truly breaking down cultural barriers and sharing experiences from their own worlds, some 6000 miles away. It may seem clichéd, but truly some lifetime friendships were forged during this time together, and I know our students walked away thinking "these kids are a lot like me."
The Argentinians hail from the St. Andrew's School of Buenos Aires. CA's five students (now seniors) attended that school last June for three weeks, immersing themselves in the language and culture of the region. Now the host students and two of their teachers have come to Colorado, just in time to attend their first-ever school dance: our Winterfest!
Meg Hill, who has helped coordinate this exchange, recently told me that "The reciprocity of our exchange program with the St. Andrew's School in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is part of what makes this cultural experience so rich. . . . As the bonds of friendship were already strong when the group arrived, these authentic relationships provided a strong framework for the Argentinian students when they began attending classes on Monday, shadowing their hosts. Of course, they have been especially welcome in our Spanish classes, and much sharing and laughter has resulted from those encounters. Our entire school community can benefit from cultural exchanges such as these. When we walk the talk of diversity, inclusion and cultural competence, exchange programs certainly fit the bill."
We have been fortunate to expand and solidify our exchange program thanks to the efforts of Forbes Cone, Daniel Lopez and a handful of dedicated teachers who have led the charge. Andres Roblero and Meg Hill (Argentina), Tom Thorpe (Turkey) and Aaron Thomas (Scotland) have helped ensure the quality of the experiences, as well as handling the myriad of logistical matters that exchange programs require.
Meanwhile, our global travel program also supports our ongoing commitment to a small village in Haiti, where CA has helped the non-profit The Road To Hope in its efforts to build a new school in the central plateau of that island nation. Sixteen students and six faculty members will be returning there in March. We also have an exciting photography-based trip to Spain this summer. Led by Jesse Myers and Miten Patel, students will be exploring several historical sites of that European country, recording their experiences with their digital cameras.
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