North launched its first-ever Peru exchange program this year, welcoming students from Newton College in Peru. 

Students arrived Friday, Oct. 25, and stayed with host families while exploring Boston until their departure Thursday, Nov. 7. This new program follows North’s challenges in restarting its Mexico exchange program after the COVID-19 pandemic. The 24 North students participating in the new Peru exchange program will travel to Peru Saturday, April 5, for three weeks.

According to Spanish teacher Christopher Alberg, the exchange coordinator, all exchange students in the Peru program were expected to follow the expectations set by their host families, integrating as if they are part of the household.

“The families are the focal point of the exchange. That’s how we make connections between cultures, countries, and communities,” Alberg added.

In addition to living with their host families, exchange students went on day trips with their chaperones and fellow students to visit colleges, attractions, and museums.

Sophomore Pearl Neafsey hosted sophomore Mariana Rios, who has been studying English since she was eight. Peru exchange students are expected to speak English with their correspondents while in Newton. Although Rios doesn’t yet know where she will attend college, her decision to do this exchange was definitely geared toward her education after high school.

“This exchange is a very good opportunity for my college curriculum,” Rios said.

Sophomore Bahiirah Bukenya, a North student who will travel to Peru later in the year, said she is excited to practice her Spanish during the exchange.

According to Alberg, North’s Spanish department has only held two previous exchanges, with Mexico and Spain. These exchanges used to alternate each year, but the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the trips, and North has not resumed the Mexico exchange since then.

“One of my colleagues was able to put us in contact with some schools in Lima, and we eventually settled on this particular school to do the exchange with,” Alberg said. 

Alberg added that the exchange program is his favorite part of being a Spanish teacher.

“The whole point of teaching someone a language is so they can go out into the world and use it. That’s what these exchanges give us the opportunity to do. [Students] can take what they learned in class and try it on real people and a real country,” he said. 

“The number one love of my job is being able to do these exchanges,” he added.