Global Exchange Program Continues Virtually Amidst Pandemic

Photo Courtesy of RCS Instagram

Students travel to Ireland through Riverdale’s Global Exchange Program in 2019.

Exchange programs have been a vital part of Riverdale’s Global Engagement Program over the past ten years. Student participants traveled to Spain and France and lived with host families while immersing themselves in other languages and cultures. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the dangers of travel, last Spring’s exchange trips were canceled and trips abroad for this year were not feasible. 

However, the Global Studies team have persevered and transitioned to a new virtual exchange program through which Riverdale students can connect with students from Spain, France, and South Africa via Zoom and WhatsApp. Although the virtual programs cannot replace the immersive experience of traveling abroad, they offer an accessible, inexpensive, low-commitment option for students who want to practice their language skills and explore other cultures from the comforts of home. 

Ms. Miriam Piña, Director of Global Studies and advisor to the French virtual exchange with the Saint Genes school, believes that the virtual format offers many of the same benefits of traditional exchanges. “You are still learning about the culture, you are still able to learn about history and build a human connection,” she said. “Stereotypes are still challenged by just embracing the opportunity to speak and engage.” From a language perspective, Ms. Milena Almira, co-advisor with Dr. Pablo Martinez to the Spanish virtual exchange with the IES Delicias school, noted that “it has been really helpful to have students get comfortable speaking with a person who is not a teacher, who is not a classmate—someone completely new with a different accent.” 

This virtual format has also enabled Riverdale to offer a cultural exchange with South Africa for the first time. Inspired by Riverdale teachers who taught at the Sumbandila school during recent summers, this exchange will be centered around the theme of “Activism and History Through the Lens of Art and Music in South Africa and the United States.” According to Ms. Asya Reznikov, advisor to the South African exchange, students will be encouraged to explore “historical intersections,” including similarities between South Africa’s struggles with apartheid and the United States’ history of slavery. 

Students in all three programs have discussions with their exchange “siblings” on topics ranging from personal interests and hobbies to the impact of social media in the lives of teens and how different countries are coping with the pandemic. Students also complete weekly assignments and projects designed to help them forge personal connections, further their language skills, and broaden their perspectives. 

Senior Sabrina Schlesinger traveled to Spain four years ago as part of Riverdale’s exchange program and still keeps in touch with her host family. She also decided to participate in this year’s virtual exchange, and enjoys talking with her new partner about everything from political protests and holidays to Spain’s pandemic lockdowns and curfews. Schlesinger said that her “Spanish absolutely got a lot better, and my accent as well” as a result of her exchange experiences, and she plans to keep in touch with her current partner through social media.

Junior Teymour Afkhami is participating in both the French and South African virtual exchanges. He says that the French exchange has been a great way to test his French skills “outside of an academic environment” and that it has been interesting to “compare how our lifestyles differ from theirs in France.” He also hopes to gain “better insight into the culture of South Africa,” since he is less familiar with the region than he is with other parts of the world.

Freshman Fiona Bell has similar hopes for the South African exchange program, and was motivated to participate by a desire to “connect with people halfway across the world” and “make a friend.” She is particularly excited to learn more about South African dance. The Sumbandila students “might even do a performance for us,” she said.

Technology has played a crucial role in the virtual exchanges, but it can also pose its own challenges. “The biggest challenges are time and technology,” said Ms. Reznikov. Time differences between countries can be “tricky to orchestrate” and “the challenge is making sure Sumbandila’s technology is working at the time that we have our meetings,” according to Ms. Reznikov. 

But despite the challenges, this year’s virtual language exchanges have been a success. “The program is working even better than we expected,” said Ms. Almira. “The feedback we are getting from the students in Spain and at Riverdale is really amazing.” Ms. Reznikov has similar expectations for the South African cultural exchange, which is just getting started. She believes that it will be a “very positive and enlightening experience” and hopes that it will lead to future student trips to South Africa. 

All three program advisors agree that virtual and in-person student exchanges offer experiences that are fun, rewarding, memorable, and able to help students expand their worldviews. According to Ms. Piña, exchange programs foster open-mindedness and help students build their global competencies by adding to their repertoires about other cultures. “I consider these exchanges incredibly enriching,” Ms. Piña said. 

Although the Global Engagement team hopes to pivot back to in-person exchanges in the coming years, according to Ms. Piña, the virtual exchanges have been so popular that they might remain an option even after the pandemic is over. “We will definitely try to continue the virtual version of the exchanges for as long as possible.”