Partner with a Spanish school to provide academic enrichment and cultural immersion to teachers and students through a reciprocal classroom exchange.
In this unique program, US-based schools host a group of international students and teachers. Later in that same academic year, the US class and teachers travel to visit the same group in their home country. It is a true cultural exchange of schools!
We have a strong presence in Spain, so this program is perfect for Spanish language classes. We also welcome matches with other countries on a case-by-case basis.
Responsibilities of All Sending Partners
Passport (should be valid for at least six months after scheduled return date, remember to leave a copy of your passport at home)
Insurance Card
Emergency Phone Numbers
1 nice outfit (nice pair of pants, skirt or dress)
2-3 pairs of jeans/ pants
6-8 shirts
8-10 pairs of socks
10+ pairs of underwear
Light jacket, sweater or sweatshirt
Pajamas
1 small suitcase or hiking backpack
1 carry-on bag for personal items and day trips
Shoes
Comfortable shoes for walking/day trips
Nice shoes for special events
Shampoo/conditioner
Body wash/lotion
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Deodorant
Hairbrush, hair ties/accessories
Feminine hygiene products
Note: All liquids should be less than 3oz for carry-on baggage and in most cases you will be able to purchase similar products abroad Miscellaneous
Camera
Book/blank journal & pens
Headphones
Hair dryer/straightener: The voltage in Europe is different and even using a converter may blow out your appliance or even a fuse!
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<li>Most airlines allow 1 checked luggage not exceeding 50 pounds. Leave room for souvenirs.</li>
<li>Airlines allow one carry on and one personal item that can be stowed under the seat</li>
<li>Students in Europe typically dress a bit more formally than teenagers in the United States. Consider what you would wear to school (no tank tops, no midriff baring shirts), avoid jeans with holes, flip flops, sweatpants or other casual clothing.</li>
</ul>
If you haven’t organized a group trip with your students before, we have a timeline provided with suggestions on when and how to begin planning and meeting with students. We’ll take care of all the major and minor details of your group trip but it’s important that students, parents, and the school are kept informed as well.
A Year and a Half Before Group Trip
Begin promoting the trip to students and parents and determining which students will attend.
One Year Before Group Trip
Hold an informational meeting for both students and parents to go over general details of the trip and dates they should be aware of, such as:
6 Months Before Group Trip
Begin hosting regular meetings for students and family members covering the following topics if desired. We can provide webinars, blogs, and resources as guidelines for these, and will also host a Pre-Departure Webinar for all students and parents.
2 Months Before Group Trip
Schedule a date for the mandatory pre-departure orientation. Determine that everyone has completed what they need before the trip, including:
1 Month Before Group Trip
Greenheart Travel will host a Pre-Departure Webinar for all students and parents. We will answer all questions and go over all logistics from departure to the return trip home. We will provide packing lists, insurance information, emergency contacts, and cultural immersion guides. Remind school and faculty of the upcoming trip, make necessary plans for students out of school.
Program price generally includes:
In short, it is a reciprocal foreign exchange program for high schools. Your school hosts a group of international high school students and then, within the same school year, those students who hosted will travel to visit their exchange buddy.
On both ends students stay with volunteer host families from the school and participate in school visits and activities which teachers organize.
Most US schools host early in the fall and travel over their spring break. However, we try to accommodate customized programs as much as possible so hosting and travel dates can be at any time during the school year as long as it is mutually agreeable to both schools involved.
Probably not. Because this is a school sponsored trip that teachers and faculty are volunteering to coordinate, the majority of exchanges must take place during the course of one academic school year.
Program cost is around $2300 based on a number of other factors but our average exchange in 2023 cost $2300 per student participant.
80% of the program price is dependent on the cost of the flight. Program prices include round trip flights, medical/accident insurance, administrative assistance throughout the planning and execution of the program. We formulate program costs based on each schools travel details to ensure we are offering them the lowest price possible.
Additionally most US schools collect around $150+ extra per participating student, to provide funding for the activity/transport expenses for the visiting expense. (The international school you are matched with will do the same on their end.)
Possibly. Many schools prefer or require the support of an outside organization. Greenheart Travel offers 30 years of experiences and assistance to schools including the following services:
Currently U.S. schools seeking an exchange outside of Spain will be considered on a case by case basis. We are always willing and able to pursue new locations, but we might need extra time to find a suitable partner for your school.
We leave this up to the Teacher Coordinator and school. Some teachers require two years of Spanish, a special project to be submitted at the end of the exchange. We request that all student participants are in good standing academically and host families have attended orientation meetings in person.
Complete an inquiry and a Greenheart staff member will be in touch with you! Please note that, ultimately, the program depends on the approval of a principal or school administrator.