Sister Cities Exchange has become a well-known and well-loved event each year at St.Charles West. Sister Cities provides a great way for connections between students across the world, as well as, knowledge about different cultures. There are two cities that SCW exchanges with and those are, Ludwigsburg, Germany and Carndonagh, Ireland. This year SCW exchanged with Germany.
By the time the exchange students arrived in America in the fall, they were very familiar with their host family. Exchange students are assigned to a host family in the spring, and connect with their families all summer long, before arrival in the fall. Once our international students arrive in America there is lots that they do and see with their host student. During the school week SCW students and their exchange students go through a normal day of classes, but they also go on field trips to popular spots in the St.Louis area with their exchange students. Weekends are a bit more relaxed and are usually filled with more sight-seeing, shopping, and/or hanging out with friends or their exchange families.
Between taking your exchange student on a tour of where you live to a regular day of classes, having an exchange student can be lots of fun. Junior, Alyric Ballard said she enjoyed being able to introduce her exchange student to her everyday life and see how different their perspectives are. Ballard also said she liked being able to share her experiences with someone coming to a brand new place. Not only is having an exchange student fun, it can create funny memories to be remembered for years to come. “I would say the funniest memory I have is when me and my family went to dinner and Andre and I were arguing back and forth and she was just watching us bicker and laughing in the corner,” Ballard said.
Sister cities is a great was to learn more about others and their daily life and can create lasting and meaningful relationships with others around the world. “Two summers ago, students who kept in touch from the Irish exchange in 2015 met in Prague and got matching tattoos!” SCW English teacher Mrs.Julie Spies said. Each year Sister Cities encourages students to learn more about other cultures and creates new friendships while doing so.
Not only does Sister Cities exchange impact SCW students, it also impacts the exchange students that come to visit America. Ballard’s exchange student Leni Haas said she likes America, though it differs from Germany. Haas said that schools in Germany are much stricter. Haas also said that in Germany malls, Walmart, and Target aren’t a thing and drinks like slushies and sodas are a lot more expensive, so she enjoyed coming to America and getting drinks and candy at grocery stores and the gas station.
There are so many benefits when it comes to participating in Sister Cities exchange. Students can gain cultural awareness and personal growth. They can also get insight to new perspectives and make friendships and memories that can last a lifetime. If the sound of hosting an exchange student or being one, interests you SCW is exchanging with Carndonagh, Ireland in 2026, so be sure to check it out.
