STUDENT EXCHANGES

Each year, Villa Maria College hosts a number of exchange students through organisations such as AFS, STS, EF, the German Exchange and the New Zealand Institute of International Understanding (NZIIU). During their exchange, students stay with local families and others in the College community and attend college.

The emphasis is placed on exchangees having a cultural experience which reflects the real life of New Zealanders.

Student exchanges are supported by the College as a wonderful opportunity for the development of language skills, cultural understanding, tolerance and personal development.

Villa students may also apply to the above organisations for selection to take part in an overseas exchange themselves.

Some exchanges, such as the Ministry of Education Language Immersion Awards, are available specifically to students learning a language. Some exchanges are 'tagged' for certain languages. These include exchange trips to Tahiti and Germany.

Exchange Opportunities for Students of French

The Tahiti Exchange

The Tahiti Exchange has run yearly since 1965. Secondary school students from Tahiti travel to New Zealand in July and are hosted by schools and families all over the country. New Zealand students go to Tahiti in December. Since the exchange began, New Zealand has hosted its share of over 10,000 students from Tahiti and other islands in French Polynesia.  Click here for more information about this exchange.

NZAFT Bourges - South Island Exchange For Students of French

For more information please refer to the NZAFT website

Exchange Opportunities for Students of German

There are two exchange programmes in which students can participate in Year 12. Both exchanges are New Zealand government approved schemes. Both are also for a two month duration and enable students to stay with a German family and attend school in Germany. In return, the German exchange partner will stay for the same length of time in New Zealand.

Students travel as a group to Germany, accompanied by group leaders, but then stay in different cities and go to different schools. This maximises the potential for language exposure. The cost for both exchanges is around NZ$4,000 (please check with the College for actual current costs at the time of enquiry).

1. New Zealand/German Exchange

Since its inception in 1989, this exchange has been highly successful with some 2,600 young Kiwis and Germans participating to date. The German partner organisations are the AFS Interkulturelle Begegnung e.V. Regionalbüro Süd. Stuttgart, the Ministries of Culture of Baden- Württemberg and Bavaria and the Bayerischer Jugendring.

There are two options for this exchange:

		Option A - 2 month exchange to the state of Baden-Württenberg In this exchange, the New Zealand partner billets his/her German counterpart for the period of late June to late August. The New Zealand student then travels to Germany to stay with his/her hostfamily for the period of early December to late January in the same year.
		Option B - 2 month exchange to Bavaria In this exchange the New Zealand student travels to Germany to stay with his/her host family in Bavaria for the period early December to late January. The German partner will then be billeted by the New Zealand counterpart from middle of February to middle of April.

2. New Zealand / German Student Exchange (2 months to Nordrhein - Westfalen)

This exchange was established with the Education Department of North Rhine-Westphalia. Students travel to Germany at the beginning of December and return at the end of January. Their German partner is billeted by the New Zealand student from middle of February to middle of April. This exchange offers an additional one week trip to Berlin where all New Zealand exchange students stay together and explore the capital of Germany.

Scholarship Opportunities for Students of German

There are two scholarship opportunities for students of German. Both involve a selection process and interviews by the German Advisor. A national competition is held to select the finalists.

1. PAD Student Scholarship to Germany (Mid-year)

Two students are selected for this PAD programme and up to three finalists can be considered for an additional scholarship from the German-New Zealand Exchange programme. Once selected, the programme (and ILANZ) involvement extends only to the two selected students. Funding from other sources covers any further candidates.

Top academic students of German have an in-country training opportunity for four weeks. It includes a 10-day home-stay, attendance at school and cultural visits - all as part of an international group. It usually runs in July and includes the two-week school holiday period.

Candidates must have taken national examinations at Year 11 level in the previous year and be intending to continue with German in Year 13. Initial selection is on the basis of the examination mark and teachers' comments, followed by an interview process to determine the finalists.

Costs connected with the selection process are covered by ILANZ and the Goethe-Institute. Once selected, Germany funds the course fees, travel, accommodation and sundry costs for the scholarship recipients.

 

2. The Society for New Zealand - German Student Exchange

This is a non-profit making organisation which raises funds to provide scholarships enabling senior secondary school students to spend between two to three months living and studying as a member of a family in the other country. The Society is made up of a group of German companies operating in New Zealand and many private individuals.

New Zealand students stay with families in Germany during their summer holidays and the German partners stay in New Zealand in July and August. Students attend school in the respective countries. Host parents accommodate and feed their guest as the Society does not reimburse expenses for accommodation, food or internal travel. Scholarship winners are provided with return tickets to Germany and insurance cover.