Exchange Programs

The Global Languages Exchange Program provide Albuquerque Academy students and their international counterparts with an authentic opportunity to live and study in a host country. These two- or three-week exchanges allow students in grades 6 through 12 to move beyond the passive observation (tourism) of a foreign culture to engage actively in the classroom, school, family, and community life of a host country.

As part of the Global Languages Program, partnerships have been established with schools in China, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, and Ecuador. Over the past eight years, these partnerships have allowed dozens of Academy students studying French, German, Russian, Spanish, Mandarin, or Japanese the opportunity to participate in authentic linguistic and cultural exchanges. Opportunities for those studying Portuguese are currently being negotiated.

Through these exchanges students gain profound experiential learning opportunities, deepening both their linguistic and cultural knowledge and understanding of a host country, and broadening their horizons as they embrace global citizenship.

Albuquerque Academy strives to offer all students an opportunity to engage in global language exchanges. Participation can include one or more of the following activities:

• Hosting a student from one of the partner schools
• Serving as an academic host on campus for a student from one of the partner schools
• Participating in a language exchange trip to a partner school/host country
• Serving in a leadership role as a Global Language Exchange Ambassador (assisting the program director with one or more of the incoming exchanges)
• Participating in one of the special classes or activities for a given exchange group on campus
• Engaging in a special Common Time with partner exchange groups