Participating in student exchange programs at either the high school or university level can be an unparalleled opportunity for learning and growth. Most exchanges expose students to foreign cultures, and often involve home stays with local families. Some programs are designed for language immersion, while others have semester- or year-long education as their goal. Still others, particularly those that are run over the summer, place an emphasis on global travel and community awareness. Students can participate in exchange through pre-arranged high school programs, commercial student exchange services, or university study abroad offices.
The exchange at the heart of most student exchange programs is a cultural exchange. An exchange student typically acts as an ambassador of his or her home culture, and travels abroad to study, learn, and interact. Most of the time, exchange students are between 15 and 21 years of age.
Much of what characterizes an exchange program is its purpose. Some student exchange programs are designed primarily for cultural exposure, while others are geared towards education. They can be intended to sharpen students’ foreign language skills, or to cast light on world issues like hunger and poverty in Africa, human rights abuses in Asia, or ecological degradation in Central and South America.
Most academic programs are either sponsored by individual schools or run by agencies that work closely with academic regulators at home and abroad. Academic trips require a bit of coordination to ensure that credits earned will transfer and be valid towards a student’s degree or diploma. The majority of international study programs are based on either a semester abroad or a year abroad model.
At the high school level, foreign academic exchange students typically stay with host families, where they can practice language skills and witness the intimate details of life in another country. University students who participate in student exchange programs typically stay in university lodging or dormitories, in order to experience the life of a full-time student. In either case, the exchange student is generally expected to integrate into the school community as if he or she were a permanent student.
Foreign travel for school can be a great way for students to see a lot of the world for not a lot of money. Students who are already living in one area of the world on student exchange programs can often use weekends and days off from studying to explore surrounding areas and countries. While not always budget travel, these sorts of opportunities can allow young people to gain many unique travel experiences and opportunities.
Depending on the program, excursions may be built in, or may not be possible at all. Many of the more structured summertime student exchange programs focus on student travel in groups, and may not permit independent activities. Group exchange programs are popular for short-term summer trips. Some are organized by the same groups that coordinate academic programs, but they can also be arranged by private clubs, church groups, or community organizations.