Plans are in the works for a foreign exchange program whereby New Trier students currently taking German would have the opportunity to study abroad in Trier, Germany and students from Trier taking English would have the opportunity to come here.

About twenty Trier students would come here in October of 2012 and the New Trier counterparts would pay a visit to Trier in the summer of 2013.  “There are few opportunities in life that a student has to transplant themselves into a new culture, and to walk a kilometer in someone else’s shoes,” said New Trier German teacher Venera Stabinsky, who has been instrumental in organizing  upcoming program.

Despite there being a connection by name between the school and the German town, no tangible plans for a program were ever suggested until last summer when a teacher from Auguste-Victoria Gymnasium in Trier contacted New Trier.

“We both felt that such a program would be a wonderful opportunity for our students to enhance their personal and scholastic development,” said Stabinsky.

Although the idea is now just sprouting, New Trier Director of Student Life Athena Arvanitis said that the program will foster as close a relationship between the two schools as New Trier currently shares with Pittwater High School in Australia.   Arvanitis stressed the importance of New Trier “establishing relationships with other high schools in the world,” and why not Trier?  They are “looking to reestablish a relationship for this century,” she added.

There will be a large amount of curricula involved during the exchange as the students shadow each other at their respective schools.  There’s more, however, to a study abroad experience than just learning math in German.

“If you’re going all the way to Germany, you probably want to see Germany,” said Arvanitis.  She mentioned that specific activities for the exchange students are not yet set in stone, and it will really be up to the students and teachers involved.  “We want to create a grassroots cultural experience.”

Apart from touring either Chicago or Trier, the students will gain the experience of a homestay, familiarizing themselves with familial customs and daily routines.  Stabinsky strongly felt that this exchange program is not simply a guided tour, but something deeper.  “It’s a program that involves the entire community.  Students will have the ability to truly explore a new environment and culture in their own unique way that no tourist can,” she said.

While experiences like this are unforettable, price is unfortunately an issue that many must consider when deciding whether or not to participate.  Arvanitis said that the price depends on factors including entertainment, liability insurance, travel insurance, and lodging.

If students are able to participate, Stabinsky said it will be a once-in-a-lifetime chance. “Eating, drinking, and sleeping a new language will certainly improve competency, but it is the dialogue with new people, the expression of new ideas, and the exposure to new perspectives that will leave indelible imprints on students’ lives.”