French students departed from North on a three week long exchange program to Guadeloupe, where they will be immersed in the French language and local culture, Saturday, Jan. 31.
This year 16 students traveled to Guadeloupe, a Caribbean island and an overseas department of France, and will return Wednesday, Feb. 18.
“There are so many unique perspectives around the world,” said sophomore Filippa Blake, a student on the exchange. “It’s so incredible to be able to see another person’s culture, because everyone has different perspectives and views the world differently.”
In Guadeloupe, students will have the opportunity to explore a wide variety of culturally immersive activities, including museums and a botanical garden, according to French teacher Kathryn Teissier du Cros. Students will also spend time with their host families and exchange students from Guadeloupe, who visited North in October.
“It was really fun to almost see Boston and Newton through the lens of someone just coming here and experience all these things through a fresh set of eyes,” Blake said.
Teissier du Cros added that exchange programs benefit students by increasing their language proficiency and challenging them to grow in a safe environment.
“I get to vicariously see their joy and excitement and their challenges,” she said. “I think it’s pretty magical watching how students grow.”
The process to apply for the exchange began during May of last school year, when interested students fill out forms and request teacher approval, according to sophomore Kiki Rajachard. Afterwards, teachers select students by factoring in their grades, age, and overall proficiency in the language.
“We work to make sure that students meet all the requirements, like being good citizens who will be great representatives of North and the United States when we travel internationally,” said Teissier du Cros.
French exchange programs at North have been running for over 40 years, according to Teissier du Cros. Before COVID-19, students traveled to a school in Paris, but multiple factors during the pandemic caused the program to end. Motivated to establish a new French exchange trip, teachers at North, including Teissier du Cros and French teacher Isabelle Ronfard, reached out through connections they had with educators in France.
According to Teissier du Cros, this is North’s second Guadeloupe exchange after the first trip in 2024. After COVID-19, the French exchange trips now alternate yearly between Guadeloupe and Marseilles.
