The American Harwood High School and Danish Odsherreds Efterskole came together for a cultural exchange project late January.
Harwood has many opportunities to get involved in civic action, promoted through National Honors Society, classroom activities, and external programs. Civics teacher Matt Henchen has long been an advocate for contributing to society through action. Any students enrolled in his class, Creating Sustainable Communities (CSC), can take part in an annual cultural exchange project with Danish Students from Odsherreds Efterskole. Henchen started as a chaperone on the first trip/exchange in 2018, and after realizing how many connections it had with his class, he integrated the trip into CSC in the form of a cultural exchange.
An Efterskole is a Danish residential school offered for students between ages of 14 and 18 years old. It is there that students can choose to spend 1-3 years finishing their education. Certain focused paths are offered so that students can get connected with jobs once they finish their education. Business has long been integrated into the Danish Education System. The Efterskole is one of the only schools that Danish students will need to pay for in their education. Danish “Primary School” consists of a system similar to our k-12 system.
The exchange involves the Danes visiting Vermont in late January, and Harwood students visiting Denmark in April. During each visit, students will be able to participate in many different activities that highlight/outline different cultural aspects of said country. While visiting, the Danish students are hosted by Harwood families involved in the exchange, and volunteers from the surrounding area. During their week of visit, host families are responsible for providing the Danish students a safe and healthy space for them to eat and rest, as well as ensuring they enjoy their time in Vermont.
This year’s activities during the Vermont visit included a winter camping trip in Fayston that according to Henchen was, “intended to show Danish students a little about Vermont culture, and to introduce people to the idea of breaking away from the confines of our technology driven society,” shadowing Harwood students for a day, ice skating in Stowe, watching various highschool/college sports, and skiing/snowboarding at Sugarbush resort.
The Danish students arrived on January 26th at the Burlington International Airport, where they met their host families that would care for them for the following week.
The camping trip on Wednesday, January 27th, involved a visit to American Flatbread in Waitsfield for lunch, where students ate flatbread pizza and learned about the history of the company from the owner. Once arriving at the trailhead on Tucker Hill, students and chaperones embarked on an hour-long hike through the Enchanted Forest in Fayston to a remote campsite consisting of a large heated tent and yurt. During the trip, students were given time to bond and get to know each other. Students played games, constructed a bonfire, and made smores. The following day involved a chilly morning breakfast, and once filled up with bacon, eggs, and pancakes, students packed up and made the long trip back to the trailhead, where a bus picked everyone up to travel back to Harwood. Though the cold was a challenge, the general consensus was that everyone had a lively experience.
Friday, January 29th was a day for Danish students to shadow Harwood students, and learn about the average American school day. The weekend was filled with time together with host families, though various activities were held, such as ice skating, skiing, and watching a UVM basketball game. There was a whole day of skiing held at Sugarbush on Monday, February 3rd.
Everyone seemed to have enjoyed the visit very much, Junior Ryder Colgan felt that “it was very enriching because I grew such a bond with my exchange student. He felt like a brother to me.”
Junior Roanha Chalmers mentioned that “it was challenging to get to know their personality and social energy.” She felt it was easy to bond over common interests while “still living very culturally different lives.”
Lucky for students involved, this visit was only half of the exchange. On April 22, Harwood students will travel to Odsherreds Efterskole in Denmark, where they will be able to shadow Denmark students, participate in interesting activities, meet new people, and explore Copenhagen. Junior Alec Sands is “looking forward to experiencing being on my own in a foreign country. I think it can give me an insight of the future and help me decide if I want to go to college internationally or even at all.” Junior Ryder Colgan, is curious about “trying new food and exploring a new city full of rich cultural history and learning how my Danish friends live their lives.”
Any Harwood readers who express further interest in the trip can feel free to check in with Henchen. “Any student can go, but it’s not for everyone,” Henchen remarked. “It can be strange and uncomfortable meeting new people, and it is somewhat structured.” The exchange includes an ethnography project involving interviewing people and sharing about cultural differences. Several international trips are offered at Harwood, such as trips to France, Spain, Rwanda, India, though the trip to Denmark is possibly one of the more unique trips, and the most affordable in comparison.
Many Americans live distracted in their own communities and cultures, unaware of the cultural diversity in our world, but not Harwood. This exchange project sheds light on exploring these cultures and their differences, and will certainly provide any participants with an experience to remember.
