The New Trier exchange program with Kelvyn Park continues this year, allowing students from both districts to learn about the vast differences in school funding, as well as more about each other’s rich cultures.

Last year, an exchange program began between students at New Trier, Evanston Township High School, and Kelvyn Park High School in Chicago. Dr. Cynthia Thaines, a professor at Northern Illinois University, curious about how students in the suburbs learn in relation to those in the city, started the program. So, through a mutual co-worker, she set up the exchange program with social studies teacher and social service board sponsor Tom Kucharski.

This year the program has already faced changes, with ETHS out of the picture. ETHS has not commented as to why. The process has changed as well. Kucharski, who sponsors the program, said, “The process changes depending on the students. It’s always going to include a tour of the schools and the communities, and it’s always going to include a discussion of the basic differences in policies between the school, but from then on it’s mostly up to the students, and what they want to do in order to try to make the schools more equal.” This year, the program has 30 students in total, with 18 from New Trier.

Sixteen of the students involved discovered the program through Social Service Board. The other two are in Kucharski’s history class. Senior Annie Pagett, joined because of Kucharski’s passion about the subject. “Mr. Kucharski is an avid supporter of equal school funding. So he has given several presentations to social service board, which made me interested in learning more about the inequities of funding between schools like New Trier and CPS,” said Pagett.

Some were interested about this subject before last year, like Junior Shirya Patel, who said, “I became interested in the program because I heard it was like the Harper program and I missed out on that opportunity sophomore year.”

Kucharski stated that he believes that the New Trier students learn a lot about the struggles that the CPS system faces, especially financially, and that it makes them want to be far more involved in ending the inequity that the two different schools face.

The students seem to agree. “I really hope this program will suggest a viable solution to the education problem in Chicago, something that as teenagers, we can assist with,” said Junior Hannah Altman.

Students also believe that they’ve gained a greater appreciation for the Latino culture that’s so prevalent in Kelvyn Park neighborhood because of the program. “I think being from New Trier we really stereotype people. So actually going to their school really proved wrong the common stereotypes that New Trier kids believe,” said Patel.

But what do the CPS students get out of the experience? At first it seems a little cruel, exposing them to a life much more privileged than their own, but according to the New Trier members involved in the program, they gain so much more. “One thing I’ve noticed about the CPS students involved is that they become much more politically active. In fact, one of the students involved last year gave a speech at a teacher’s rally, back when the CPS teachers were on strike,” said Kucharski.

Pagett believes that they gain even more. “I think by being involved with the program, they will not only be more aware of school funding, but it will also make them more motivated to be engaged in their school. Their drop out rate is 45% which means that almost half of the kids feel so unmotivated that they just leave school altogether. Most of the CPS kids we are partnering with have hopes to improve their school which most likely involves getting their other peers to join in.”

There’s also the new friendships that the students enjoy, ones that they never would have made without the program. “Getting to know all of the students has been really fun,” said Hannah Soifer, a junior. “Especially because many of us haven’t had as close relationships within that community.”