Student Life
Travel
International Programs

Exchange Programs

Ambassadorships (Mini-Exchanges)

St. Albans form advisors choose pairs of students to travel at the same time to a select school in Australia, the Czech Republic, France, India, South Africa, or Spain. Each student lives abroad with a different family and then serves as host when two students from the international school visit St. Albans. Students honored to represent St. Albans abroad immerse themselves in the life of their school and of their host family.

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  • The Doon School in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

    Two students attend the Doon School, an all boys independent boarding school located in the foothills of the Himalayas, north of Delhi. Founded in 1935, the Doon School is a member of the International Boys' Schools Coalition. Boys live in boarding houses and may stay with families on weekends.
     
    WHO: Two rising Form V students, selected by the Form IV advisors.

    WHEN    : Five weeks in late July and August (between Form IV and Form V).

    IN EXCHANGE    : This exchange begins with two Doons students coming to St. Albans in April. The families of the two St. Albans students who will travel abroad serve as their hosts.

    COST    : Airfare and spending money.

  • The PORG School Exchange Program in Prague, in the Czech Republic

    Two St. Albans students attend PORG (První obnovené reálné gymnázium), a small school in Prague with an international focus. Each stays in the home of a PORG student who knows English. The students are encouraged to explore the city’s communities and history, focusing on topics such as the city of Kafka, the Jewish quarter, or the span of Prague’s architecture.

    WHO: Two Form V students, selected by the Form V advisors; the students names are announced in December.

    WHEN: Two to four weeks in June, after Prize Day.

    COST: Airfare and spending money.

    IN EXCHANGE: This exchange begins with two PORG students coming to St. Albans in late January and February. The two St. Albans students who will travel abroad serve as their hosts.

  • The Scotch College Exchange in Melbourne, Australia

    Two students attend Scotch College, an independent Presbyterian day and boarding school for boys located in the heart of suburban Melbourne. Founded in 1851, Scotch College is affiliated with the International Coalition of Boys’ Schools. STA Boys stay with their exchange partner and his family and immerse themselves in the life of the school.

    WHO: Two rising Form V students, nominated by the Form IV advisors.

    WHEN: Four weeks during the summer before their Form V year.

    IN EXCHANGE: The following fall, those same boys host their Australian exchange partners for a month at their home and introduce them to the full spectrum of school life at St. Albans.

    COST:  Airfare and spending money.

  • The St John's College Exchange Program in Johannesburg, South Africa

    Two students attend St John's College, a private school for boys in Houghton, Johannesburg. St John's College is a member of the International Boys' Schools Coalition and the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa.

    WHO: Two Form IV students, selected by Form III advisors.

    WHEN: Five weeks after St. Albans classes end in late May and early June.

    IN EXCHANGE: This exchange begins with two St John's College students coming to St. Albans in the fall. The family of the St. Albans students who will travel abroad serve as hosts.

    COST: Airfare and spending money.

    REPORT BY PAST PARTICIPANT:
    2016 Travel Report—Christian Potter ’18

Large Group Exchanges

Larger groups of St. Albans students travel, often with teachers and other chaperones, on these well-established exchange programs; the St. Albans students then host the foreign students when they visit the United States. Everyone at school benefits from the influx of international students brought by these exchanges. Costs for these trips vary. Most are between $1500 and $3000.

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  • The St. Louis de Gonzague School Exchange Program in Paris, France

    THE PROGRAM: In the morning, students attend classes with their French exchange student at St. Louis de Gonzague School (also known as the Franklin School), a renowned, private secondary school in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. Afternoons they explore Paris under a St. Albans French teacher’s supervision. These guided tours are crafted so that students do not just sight see but learn about French history, literature, art, and culture, and about the history of Paris. At the Eiffel Tower, students learn about the engineering and architecture of the tower and its construction as a gateway to the Exposition Universelle held in 1889. At the Champ de Mars and Ecole Militaire (where Napoleon studied) and les Invalides (where he is buried), they discuss the French Revolution. Each student stays in the home of a Franklin School student.

    REPORTS BY PAST PARTICIPANTS:
    2010 Travel Report—Gleb Drobkov ’08

    WHO: About twelve Form V and VI students enrolled in French classes.

    WHEN: About ten days in late January, at the beginning of the second semester.

    IN EXCHANGE: This exchange begins with a group of St. Albans students traveling to France in January. French students then come to St. Albans in February or March for about ten days. The families of the St. Albans students who went abroad serve as their hosts.

    HOW TO SIGN UP: Contact St. Albans International Program Coordinator Mireille Beuchard by May.

  • The St. Albans, U.K., Cross-Country and Track Exchange Program

    This exchange with our namesake, the 1,000-year-old St. Albans School in Hertfordshire, U.K., introduces runners to another culture and offers opportunities to grow through competing athletically in an international context. Students tour the school, sightsee, and run in two competitions.

    REPORTS BY PAST PARTICIPANTS:
    2010 Travel Report—Jamie Gerber ’12

    WHO    : Cross-country or track team members in Forms III to VI. A St. Albans coach accompanies the group.

    WHEN    : 1 week in June, every even year (2012, 2014, etc.).

    IN EXCHANGE    : Students from St. Albans, U.K., initiate the exchange by visiting St. Albans in the fall (generally October).

    HOW TO SIGN UP    : Contact Cross-Country Coach Jim Ehrenhaft by February.

St. Albans School

Phone: 202-537-6435
Located in Washington D.C.,  St. Albans School is a private, all boys day and boarding school. For more than a century, St. Albans has offered a distinctive educational experience for young men in grades 4 through 12. While our students reach exceptional academic goals and exhibit first-rate athletic and artistic achievements, as an Episcopal school we place equal emphasis upon moral and spiritual education.