Exchange with School in Spain Yields Lessons in Language, Culture, Courage, and Generosity
A new student exchange between St. Johnsbury Academy and Sapere Aude, a school near Madrid, Spain, offered rich, authentic cultural experiences for both hosts and guests, who shared adventures this fall in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom and parts of New Hampshire.
A busy two-week itinerary at the beginning of October featured daily lessons at school with host siblings, dedicated time with families, and travel to destinations like the Northwoods Stewardship Center for a workshop on the surrounding ecology and a canoe ride on the Clyde River, a visit to the Great Corn Maze in Danville, a fall foliage train ride departing from the St. Johnsbury Welcome Center down the Passumpsic and Connecticut rivers, and a visit and tour of the Mount Washington Hotel followed by a hike on the Hail Brook Trail in the White Mountains. Students also played in a friendly soccer match between the two schools, attended a cultural fair organized by the guests, and had an American-style farewell dinner before the guests returned to Spain.
When asked what they most enjoyed about hosting a student from Spain, St. Johnsbury Academy students mentioned talking with their exchange siblings, learning more about their guests’ culture, improving their Spanish, comparing perspectives and aspects of their lives, making new friends within the larger group, and building connections.
Junior Kaedyn Kendall remarked, “Their culture is very different from American culture, and I LOVE it. I am excited to visit Spain and experience it firsthand. They are vibrant, loud, hilarious people who are so unique and have the best food and really interesting traditions.”
Vivian Huntington ‘28 learned that “their school system is very different from ours because here we have a cafeteria and eat lunch with our school, but they go home and don’t eat lunch at school. They don’t have a dress code, so coming here, Unai wanted to be in dress code even on the variety day we had.”
For Ignacio Montague ‘28, one meaningful moment was hearing his exchange sibling, Iker, say that he wanted to come back.
Teachers Karla Elizalde and Carmenza Montague, co-coordinators of the program, emphasized the value of students serving as hosts, where responsibilities extend beyond mere self-interest or self-amusement.
According to Montague, “Although some of the activities may be familiar to us here, accompanying exchange siblings in new experiences for them and teaching them about our way of life and how to navigate our unique environment brings home the point that there is a greater purpose in life—one that builds on the ‘community’ rather than the ‘individual.’”
The exchange ended with a farewell dinner courtesy of the SJA Culinary Program. Chef Nathan Hashmonay and his students prepared a farewell meal, which included an autumn staple: apple crisp.
Future plans for the exchange include welcoming another group of students from Sapere Aude in the fall of 2027, with SJA students having the opportunity to travel to Spain in the spring of 2028.
