By Nicole Larsen
Staff Writer

When someone says Bavaria, Germany, what comes to mind? Chocolate, lederhosen, maybe yodeling.

Actually, Bavaria, or Bayern in German, has more to offer than these timeless associations.

Even in this modern generation, stereotypes about people from other countries are still relevant. And although technology offers opportunities for global communication, some people have yet to take advantage of this.

Westford Academy, true to our mission statement, is trying to bridge international gaps-starting with the German exchange. This program, headed by German teacher Michael Joyce, celebrated its twenty-ninth anniversary and is more influential than ever because of the websites and connections available for today’s students.

When asked about his role in the German exchange, Mr. Joyce explained, “Everything. I found the partnership schools originally; I find the host families and plan the itinerary, [and] make the travel arrangements. And then of course chaperoning.”

Other members of the faculty who are involved include Ulrike Joyce, who teaches German at Stony Brook Middle School, Kristin Gillet, and James Antonelli, who all will be traveling with the Westford Academy group to Germany for a few days this summer.

Students from Northeim, the home town of the fall exchange students, and Untergriesbach, the home town of the spring exchange students, stay with their host families for up to a full year, which is more than enough time to develop an attachment with new friends.

In the past, foreign friends stayed in touch only with letters; now the exchange offers a much broader window of communication.

Although Untergriesbach is located at the southern tip of Germany in the suburb of Passau, Bavaria, it is not difficult for students to talk using media like Skype and Facebook. Friends are only a click away. And it is not just German students who reach out to the foreign exchange-classmates in other languages are becoming more involved as the traditon continues.

This spring, students from Untergriesbach will stay with their host families, and though they’ll be far from home, they are not the only ones who will be given the opportunity to learn about a new culture.

“The exchange helps to improve [students'] language and open the doors of the world to them. There is also the chance to go to Europe and experience everything from food to people to cities and lifestyles,” says Joyce.

Most importantly, Joyce would like students to open up to new cultures. He wants students to gain “The willingness to take a risk and to try new things even when it’s a little bit outside their comfort zone. And to realize that they can live, manage, and communicate in a foreign environment.”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 1:52 pm and is filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.