ABOUT THE EXCHANGE
Since its creation in 2013, over 100 students from more than 20 New Zealand secondary schools have participated in the New Zealand Switzerland exchange.
How does the exchange work?
The exchange is a reciprocal exchange, meaning that New Zealand families will host a Swiss student first, in August/September. Our New Zealand students go on the return trip to Switzerland over their summer school holidays, in December/January.
Because of the reciprocal nature of the exchange, there is no fees to be paid for board or schooling in New Zealand or Switzerland(excluding extras such as optional school trips, sports etc).
For legal purposes, exchange students have the same status as domestic students and do not have to pay international fees.
Who are the organisers ?
In New Zealand, Pip Feast, French teacher at Cambridge High School, is the New Zealand Switzerland Exchange Coordinators.
In Switzerland, the ARPEL organisation oversees the exchange.
You can find their website here: http://www.echangeslinguistiques.ch/
Who is eligible to go ?
Students of French who will begin Year 12 in the year of the exchange will be given priority. Students who will begin Year 11 in the year of the exchange may also apply, but we feel that in many cases Year 12 students are better prepared to cope with the demands of an overseas exchange on a lingusitic and personal level.
A small number of Year 13 students have also paticpated in the past.
Where will our students go ?
Our students will go to one of the French speaking cantons of Switzerland (Geneva, Valais, Fribourg, Neuchatel,Vaud and Jura.)
What will they do there ?
They will stay with the family of the family of their host sister/brother in French speaking Switzerland
They will be required to regularly attend a high school in Switzerland.
What Will It Cost ?
A $200 deposit is to be paid at the time of application. Should your application not be successful, the deposit will be refunded. However, it will not be refunded if you are accepted into the exchange programme and later change your mind.
Cost will be advised once numbers are finalised.