Friends Seminary’s Spanish Language Exchange Program is the first of several language exchange programs to be launched in the coming years to complement each of the languages offered at Friends. These programs aim to provide mission-driven language immersion experiences for Upper School students that improve language proficiency and foster intercultural understanding and perspective taking, with the overall goal of educating for global citizenship.

 

The Friends Seminary-Colegio Sant Ignasi Barcelona Exchange Program is open to rising tenth and eleventh grade students currently studying Spanish. Applicants must be taking or have completed at least Spanish II with a B+ average or higher and have the recommendation of the Spanish teacher. Student applicants must also be in overall good academic standing, have solid disciplinary and attendance records, and demonstrate leadership in their contributions to our school community. An interview in Spanish will be part of the application process.

Up to six students will be selected to travel to Barcelona from March 9-30, 2024. Students will travel in March, miss one full week of school at Friends, and be away for the full spring break. The program is intended to be reciprocal; if families of selected students are able to host a student from Barcelona next fall (3 weeks; November 11-December 2) it is expected that they will. If a selected student's family is unable to host a student, the School will seek another Friends family that is interested in opening their home and participating in the exchange. Committed host families are critical to the success of the program.