School exchange programs are life adventures that will expand students’ horizons and help them create lifelong memories. These incredible programs offer students a unique opportunity to step out of their comfort zones and immerse themselves in a whole new world of learning.
China is one of the most vibrant and culturally rich countries in the world. Through school trips to China, students can explore its fascinating history, indulge in delicious cuisine, and interact with locals to truly understand the Chinese way of life.
Exchange programs create an environment where students can build connections with peers from different backgrounds and forge intercontinental friendships. It’s a chance to break down barriers, challenge stereotypes, and foster a sense of unity among young minds.
So why wait? We’d like to share some insights and school exchange programs that will shape students’ futures in ways they’ve never imagined. We will also be sharing some of the school exchange programs that we can offer.
School Exchange Program Trends
Only about 2.2% of US college students study abroad, but 50% of those students go on to perform better academically. Now that just shows the powerful impact that school trips in China exchange programs can have! More than half of US students choose to study in a European country, and the UK is the second most popular destination for international students.
Following the growing trend of school exchange programs and studying abroad, Chinese students make up 34.6% of foreign students who are studying in the US. This year, the number of internationally mobile students is expected to reach 8.7 million. More students are acknowledging the value of international education, so now is the time to hop on the school exchange program train!
Given the extensive skills that it provides, STEAM courses are one of the biggest school exchange program trends of 2023. STEAM learning happens to be the guiding principle of our Science Academy program, which we will introduce later in this post.
Many new courses have also been developed for non-conventional fields such as culinary arts, urban planning, liberal arts, development studies, and architecture, just to name a few.
Why Are School Exchange Programs Important?
Why are school exchange programs important, you ask? Well, they go beyond the traditional classroom setting by providing experiential education and immersive learning experiences. Students not only gain knowledge but also develop invaluable life skills such as adaptability, cultural understanding, and global awareness.
While studying in a school exchange program, students get to experience a new culture and improve language skills, if they happen to be learning a new language. Not only do these kinds of programs help students develop a sense of appreciation for other cultures, they allow them to reflect on their own culture or the culture in which they grew up through a renewed lens. In fact, students who have studied in a new country report a 58% increase in multicultural awareness.
Other benefits include cross-cultural learning, self-development, self-awareness, meeting new people, and making new friends.
Employability is yet another benefit of a school exchange program. Experiencing a different education system is an eye-opening experience in and of itself. It also helps students gain both technical and intangible skills that will stay with them through their careers and their lives.
According to a study, European students who participated in the Erasmus international exchange increased their employment by 42% compared to those who hadn’t taken part in any kind of international exchange. The skills acquired during school exchange programs such as adaptability, cultural awareness, and tolerance are referred to as transversal skills.
Transversal skills are defined as skills that are not related to any particular field or job but can be used in a wide variety of situations. Innovative thinking, global citizenship, and information literacy are among some of the most in-demand transversal skills.
School exchange programs also allow students to discover new topics that they might not have considered before. In the Erasmus study, 40% of school exchange program participants decided to change their career direction after their overseas study experience.
WildChina Education’s School Exchange Programs
The categories of lessons we offer include concept-based, build-in, total hands-on, or mixed concept. There are three types of interactions we can offer: Single School Visits, One-Way Exchanges, and Two-Way Exchanges.
Single School Visit
This entails a brief visit to a school, typically for a morning or afternoon. Activities may include a campus tour, classroom participation, engaging in sports, and other similar experiences. Additionally, teachers can engage in in-depth discussions about their teaching methods.
One-Way Exchange
In a one-way school exchange program, visiting students usually spend an entire week at the host school. Activities may include camping, rock climbing, rowing, interactions with wild animal protection organizations, and social science fieldwork.
Depending on your learning objectives, we can also arrange sustainable development-related activities, farming experiences, or village and ancient building restoration. All of the programs we offer can be tailored to suit your needs.
Two-Way Exchange
Both participating schools send their students to each other’s institutions, facilitating a comprehensive cultural exchange experience. Over the two-way exchange program period, students will surely gain the skills we discussed in the previous section as they expand their horizons through new experiences.
Students may be able to work on a Coding for Communities workshop, community design and reconstruction workshop, and even more creative courses such as stop motion animation, dubbing and sound effects, and storyboarding.
Let’s Chat!
As an established experiential education company, WildChina Education has been providing customized learning experiences for over twenty years. We have worked with institutions such as Harvard University, Stanford University, Columbia University, Dulwich International School, Wellington College China, and many more.
School exchange programs should be all about fun and fresh experiences, so we ’ve got your students ’ health and safety covered. WildChina has a crisis management expert, and we also provide insurance, medical assistance, and emergency reports.
Ready to give your students an unforgettable experience filled with growth, discovery, and endless possibilities? Contact us directly via phone or email, or chat with us through our social media accounts. Remember to let us know about your learning objectives and the activities that you would like to have. We will be delighted to hear from you and we can ’t wait to start planning with you!
Sources
https://blog.gitnux.com/studying-abroad-statistics/
https://ischoolconnect.com/blog/study-abroad-trends-in-2023-a-perfect-guide-for-students/#:~:text=follow%20their%20passions.-,More%20emphasis%20on%20STEM%20courses,science%2C%20engineering%2C%20and%20tech
https://ivyis.org/blog/19/The-Importance-of-School-Exchange-Programs-for-stu#:~:text=These%20programs%20allow%20students%20to,of%20understanding%20how%20it%20functions
https://www.idp.com/global/when-you-arrive/top-6-benefits-of-exchange-programs/#:~:text=Exchange%20programs%20help%20you%20make%20global%20connections&text=Plus%2C%20you%20will%20already%20have,and%20improving%20your%20cultural%20awareness
https://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/university-news/international-students-more-employable-erasmus-study
https://unevoc.unesco.org/home/TVETipedia+Glossary/show=term/term=Transversal+skills#start
https://wildchinaeducation.com/2022/11/science-academy/
