About the Exchange

History

2018-2019 marks the 17th year of the Dover-Sherborn /Hangzhou High School China Exchange. Though the delegations are small, the impact of the program has been immense. More than 350 people have been directly involved in the exchange as students and family hosts in Hangzhou and Dover/Sherborn MA. About 10,000 students have benefited, and many high school/middle school teachers have had the opportunity to teach special classes for visiting students and teachers. The shared cultural experiences have been profound, with new levels of cultural understanding and lifelong friendships forged over just a few short weeks each year.

Rationale

• China and the U.S. are already key players in the 21st century. Our students will be tomorrow's leaders in business, government and the private sector. Cultural understanding of China will be of paramount importance to present and future leaders.
• The D-S China Exchange enriches the cultural understanding of our student body, our teaching staff, and our entire community. It is an investment that will ensure positive returns for many years to come.
• Direct, person-to-person contact increases learning and cultural understanding in ways that no classroom can duplicate.

Structure

The Dover-Sherborn Exchange Group is in China for eight weeks, typically from the end of January until the end of March, depending on the date of Chinese New Year. Participating students must be seniors; participating teachers are selected from either the Dover Sherborn Middle School or High School.

The Hangzhou Exchange Group equals the D-S Group in size but their arrival time is variable. The group size for each delegation is one teacher with either 2 or 3 students. The first group exchange was in the Fall of 2002, though presently both groups travel in the spring.

D-S Group in Hangzhou

• Students and teachers attend classes and study the history, language and culture of each other's countries
• Teachers and students teach English in classes and provide an English Corner for students in Hangzhou
• Participants travel in China, visiting major historical and cultural landmarks

Hangzhou Group at Dover-Sherborn

• Chinese exchange participants visit classrooms K-12 and provide lessons in Chinese culture
• Chinese students and teacher attend classes in American Studies offered by DS teachers
• Chinese teachers teach Chinese culture and introduce language
• Chinese students and teachers travel to sites of historic and cultural interest

Preparation

D-S Group

Some language study is required for participation in the program. This may be provided through private study in the summer and fall preceding the exchange or by enrolling in the Chinese language classes offered at the High School. Lessons outside the high school program are currently at the participants' own expense.

Students are required to take an independent-study tutorial on Modern China during the fall term (3 credit hours).

Living Arrangements

Participants live with host families; the objective is a thorough and rewarding school, family, and cultural experience.

NOTE: Experiences of the current and previous Exchange groups are chronicled on the D-S China Exchange Blog.