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EXCHANGING PERSPECTIVES & GAINING MEMORIES
EXCHANGING PERSPECTIVES & GAINING MEMORIES
Why Go Abroad?
Why Go Abroad?
Our student exchange program is one of the most powerful expressions of our mission to develop character in young men, offering students a purposeful opportunity to connect with peers and walk in their footsteps. Our exchanges are designed to foster character. We envision every departing student returning with a sharper sense of moral integrity, heightened curiosity about the world, and a lifelong commitment to ethical, global citizenship.
Our Vision:
Growth & Resilience
We envision Crescent students embracing the transformative challenge of unfamiliar environments. By navigating the complexities of daily life abroad and the responsibilities of hosting at home, students build the resilience and adaptability required of tomorrow’s leaders.
Develop Global Connections
We strive to move toward deep, collaborative engagement. Through intentional partnerships and real-world, shared experiences, our students cross cultural boundaries to discover shared humanity and diverse perspectives.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Farlin Paulino-Sanz, Global Learning Coordinator and Upper School Modern Languages teacher.
How it works:
How it works:
Applications open in September when students return to school. Once selected, participants are carefully matched with an exchange partner from one of our partner schools, and our preparation process begins with information sessions, family introductions, and pre-departure training.
During the exchange, students attend their host school, join extracurricular activities, and spend evenings and weekends exploring with their new friends and host family. When it's time to host, the experience comes full circle — their exchange partner visits Toronto, attends Crescent for three weeks, and becomes part of your family's daily life. It's a true two-way experience, and the friendships formed on both sides tend to last well beyond the program.
These immersive experiences challenge students to step outside their comfort zones, adapt to unfamiliar environments, and reflect deeply on who they are becoming. Through daily life abroad and hosting responsibilities at home, students build moral character through self-awareness and integrity, performance character through resilience and adaptability, and civic character through service and global engagement.
Learning Goals for Students
Learning Goals for Students
Students prepare for exchange through four pre-departure sessions covering expectations, risk, intercultural thinking, and logistics.
Key outcomes include:
Intercultural Awareness: Immersion via host families, new schooling, and daily life builds firsthand cultural understanding beyond the classroom.
Personal Growth: Navigating unfamiliar environments fosters resilience, independence, adaptability, and self-awareness.
Global Citizenship: Outbound travel and inbound hosting cultivate empathy and compassionate leadership through shared, lived perspectives.
General Information
General Information
Eligible Grades: The exchange program is open to Upper School students in Grades 10-12. All current partnerships share this eligibility range, ensuring participants have the maturity and independence to make the most of their time abroad.
Partner School Eligible Grades Duration:
Aylesbury Grammar School (UK)
Grades 10-12.
Crescent students depart in March for 3 weeks
Host AGS students in April for 3 weeks
Branksome Hall Asia (South Korea)
Grade 9 (host at school)
Grade 10 (visit Branksome Hall Asia), 12-day stay and depart in March
Westlake Boys High School (NZ)
Grades 10-12
Crescent students depart in March for 3 weeks
Host WLB students in April for 3 weeks
Aylesbury Grammar School
Aylesbury Grammar School
- Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
- Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
Founded in 1598, Aylesbury Grammar School is one of England's most well-established boys' grammar schools, located between London and Oxford. Students walk the halls of a historic institution during the week and explore the English countryside, visit Oxford University, and take weekend trips to London with their host families. This is Crescent's longest-running and most established exchange partnership.
Aylesbury Church
Tennis Courts in the early morning at AGS
The Countryside of Buckinghamshire
Crescent students showing AGS Niagara Falls
Westlake Boys High School
- Auckland, New Zealand
Westlake Boys High School
- Auckland, New Zealand
Set in Auckland, Westlake Boys offers students the chance to study in open-air learning environments, explore the intersection of nature and Māori culture, and participate in the school's strong outdoor education, leadership, and science programs. Students enjoy ferry trips to surrounding islands, coastal excursions, and weekend trips to the countryside.
Westlakers bring Crescent Boys to Auckland's Sky Tower
Auckaland's Skyline
Crescent Boys Touring the Docks in Auckland
Student Voices
Student Voices
"My exchange to the UK was a great experience that was filled with meaningful connections, cultural learning and personal growth. I think one of the highlights was getting to live with my host family and just experiencing what day-to-day life is like in another country. This helped me see the world through a different lens."
--- Crescent Exchange Student --- Aylesbury Grammar School, UK
"Participating in the exchange program this year has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my high school journey. Hosting twice gave me the chance to build friendships across cultures and see my own community through a fresh perspective. Travelling to the UK was equally impactful---it pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow academically, socially, and personally. Experiencing a different education system, living with a new family, and immersing myself in British culture broadened my worldview. I'm incredibly grateful for the exchange program and would recommend it to anyone eager to learn and grow."
--- Crescent Exchange Student --- Aylesbury Grammar School, UK
"My favourite moment so far would have to be walking around Oxford and visiting the university's many different colleges, as well as having a look through both the Oxford Museum of Natural History and the History of Science Museum with Einstein's chalkboard in it. When people hear of the UK weather, they think of rainy, cloudy and cold. However, my first week has been quite the opposite, with much more sun than I thought, with bluebird skies and warm weather."
--- Crescent Exchange Student --- Aylesbury Grammar School, UK
"One of the most memorable parts of my trip was snorkelling---it was the closest I've ever seen a fish come to me! It was a bit scary at first, but also really cool, especially since it seemed totally normal to my partner. I also had a blast playing cricket in the backyard with my partner's little brother; it was fun trying a sport I'd never played before. Another highlight was meeting new friends at school---each one was so different, not only from each other but also from anyone I know back home."
--- Crescent Exchange Student --- Westlake Boys High School, New Zealand
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