International Exchange Program
PWHS students in Grades 10 and 11 are invited to fully immerse themselves in the language and culture of another country while living with a host family and attending another Waldorf high school.
Cultural Fluency
Portland Waldorf School offers the opportunity for High School students to study abroad—in an exchange with another Waldorf school and a host family—as part of our World Language program. Students find that their language fluency develops in leaps and bounds during this adventure. The experience of living away from home while still having the familiarity of the routines and environment of a Waldorf school is a perfect way to stretch their personal comfort. In exchange, a student from the host family comes to live in Portland and attend PWHS.
Who Is Eligible
All PWHS students in Grades 10 and 11 are eligible. In certain circumstances, if a student exhibits proficiency in another language, they can travel to further develop those language skills. Students have visited Argentina and Germany, in addition to Italy, Hungary, and Japan.
Program Details
Students are abroad for approximately three months. Similarly, the visiting students come to Portland for the same duration. Exact length and time of year are determined by the host families with the support of our exchange coordinator, Profesora Umanzor.
Participants pay the standard tuition at PWHS, plus the plane ticket and spending money. The host family usually covers all expenses for their visiting student.
Find Out More
There are so many reasons to consider an International Exchange opportunity: confidence, language acumen, cultural literacy, social development, and memories that last a lifetime! Our students report they’ve forged lifelong friendships with their host families and value the time spent traveling as one of the highlights of their lives.