Next school year, ten to fifteen BMU students have the incredible opportunity to participate in a student exchange program with Sapere Aude in Spain. Carmenza Montague, the Spanish teacher at BMU, has wanted to bring this experience to BMU since she started in 2022, but had trouble with scheduling. Montague believes that, “Traveling to a different country,” and experiencing their culture is a “life changing experience,” which is why she wanted to bring it to BMU. 

Blue Mountain students who travel to Spain will attend school at Sapere Aude, a highschool located in western Madrid, with the students who host them. They will also get the chance to explore Spain’s geography and culture traditions with their host families. Some of these historical locations may include: Madrid, Ávila, Toledo and Salamanca

There are many advantages to participating in exchange programs; they allow high school students to travel to different countries where they stay with host families and immerse themselves in the country’s culture. According to the Nation Association of Foreign Student Advisers, students who participate in exchange programs have higher academic success. Exchange students also have a greater chance of employment after graduation because of the dire need for multilingual employees. High school Science teacher Jennifer Maccini participated in an exchange program, where she traveled to France and hosted an exchange student in the U.S. Maccini remembers this as, “a great experience,” that allows students to, “see not only the tourist parts of a different country, but what everyday life is like for a high school student,” in a different country.

Unlike Blue Mountain’s Global Explorers club, the student exchange program allows the students home hospitality versus a hotel experience. However, it is not a requirement for students traveling to Spain to host a family nor is it a requirement to travel to Spain if a family is interested in housing a Spanish student.

If you are interested in this opportunity and would like more information, please contact Carmenza Montague at [email protected]