Padua and Salesianum has been talking to their sister school in Dachsberg, Austria quite a lot this year. Ms. Sophrin visited the school on her trip to Austria, where she taught English. Teachers have also been planning for a potential exchange program for 2014.

After traveling 13 hours of combined flying and driving on Saturday, May 10th, 12 Austrian exchange students pulled into the Padua lot. The students, 6 boys and 6 girls from a Salesian school in Dachsberg, Austria, met their host families. The 6 girls, Gloria Lehner, Sarah Schiller, Katrin Haidinger, Isabel Brandstötter, Teresa Wagner, and Julia Kreinecker, have been staying with one of the Padua host families.

The 12 students have 10 ten days to pack the United States experience into. On Monday, the students attended either Padua or Sallies, where they followed their host students from class to class learning the ways of an American school. Tuesday consisted of a trip to Old New Castle to learn the history of Delaware. A special schedule at Sallies, is what the students looked forward to on that Thursday.

The week could only get better with a trip to New York City on Thursday. One of the best places to visit in the U.S., the students highly anticipated the trip and the souvenirs. Sunday brought the host families and their students to a potluck and small prayer service at Sallies. The potluck brought families and students closer together over American delicacies and prayer. Off to Washington D.C., the students went on Monday to enjoy our nation’s capital. Finally, the students spent their last day attending another school day before heading off to the airport and boarding their flight back home.

Overall, the program was a success! All the students, girls and boys, enjoyed their host families and the new American experience. Trying new things such as peanut butter and Levi jeans, the students became associated with the ways of America. An experience to live in another country, if only for a short time, is a dream that all should have.