Applications open for American exchange

Pupils who are in Year 13 and live in the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough will be eligible for the programme which has been running for over 15 years.

The Sister Cities Student Exchange Programme takes place in July and August, and offers two local students the chance to travel to Gilbert, Arizona to develop an understanding of a different country. The students will get to experience the culture and people of the United States.

The successful students will take part in a local socially beneficial project before travelling to the USA, where they will spend three weeks experiencing the American way of life. On the trip, they will stay with a host family, bringing back a wealth of stories about their stay abroad, their contacts with new people and their experiences.

At the end of the three weeks, two students from Gilbert will return with their exchange partners. During their stay in Antrim and Newtownabbey, the Gilbert students will have a chance to experience a new culture and make lifelong friends by living with the family of their exchange student.

The students from Gilbert will learn about their hosts local cultures and customs in ways in which the normal visitor does not get to see.

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council provide the travel expenses for the Student Exchange Programme and help the students and their parents/guardians to plan the activities. Students will need to provide their own passports and spending money.

If you are a teacher or parent and would like to nominate a student for this programme or a student who would like to participate, contact Carol Shane on 02890340073 or email [email protected] to request an application pack or visit www.antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk to download the application pack. Completed applications must be returned no later than 4pm on Friday, February 26. All nominees will be required to attend an interview together with their parents/guardians conducted by the council.