The French Student Exchange Programme:

This exchange programme was initiated in 2005. Every year, our students engage in a vibrant cultural dialogue with their peers in L’Ermitage International School, Paris which is a Global member of Round Square. This exchange programme gives our students an opportunity to understand issues such as natural calamities, racism and importance of foreign languages in a global context.

17 students from L’Ermitage School, Paris visited DAIS in February 2011, as part of the yearly Indo-French Exchange Programme. This year’s programme was aimed at promoting cultural as well as community service experiences that motivate students to develop life-long commitment to service and multiculturalism.  By participating in the village service project at Hassachipatti, Matheran (near Mumbai) and helping in school’s DAISight - an ICU2 initiative in Hassachipatti, the L’Ermitage students made a difference to those who benefitted from these service efforts. They also visited various NGOs and ‘Across the Road’ programmes as another aspect of their service project.

16 students accompanied by 2 teachers visited Paris in March 2011 as part of the ongoing cultural exchange programme with L’Ermitage School at Maisons-Laffitte, a northern suburb of Paris, and this was an opportunity to experience the French cultural context.

Journeys into Paris on the Metro and strolling down the streets of Maisons-Laffite, Paris city and Latin Quarter; eating crepes by the river Seine; a unique experience of seeing the different types of cheese; learning some common French salutations and greetings like ‘Bonjour’, ‘Merci beaucoup’ and ‘Au revoir’; and conversations with the host parents over the dinner table - from baguettes, horse-riding and Impressionism to the Himalayas, butter chicken and Holi; and giving a flavour of India to the primary schoolers of L’Ermitage with an action-packed Bollywood dance and classroom interactions – all these were part of this cultural exchange.

Educational value of the exchange programme included an equally incredible experience  of spotting in Louvre that day classical greats - notably French and Greek sculptures, Italian renaissance paintings, and Sumerian wall frescoes and artifacts; visiting the Cathédral de Notre Dame noted for its Gothic arches and stained glass glory; coming face-to-face with some favourite impressionist and post-impressionist pieces at the Musée d'Orsay  museum; refreshing walk up the stairs to the Montmartre area in Paris, where the Sacré Coeur is located; unforgettable experiences at the  Palais de Versailles, and much exhausted climb of the Eiffel Tower.

The Student Exchange with Le Bocage International School (LBIS) Mauritius:

The exchange programme with the LBIS Mauritius, which was, started in 2007, is a perfect mix of learning, service and fun. The week-long programme offers cultural and linguistic insights as well as valuable academic and service-related experiences in a vibrant international context.

YES Student Exchange Programme:

YES (Youth Exchange and Study programme) is an innovative high school exchange programme funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This public diplomacy initiative builds bridges of international understanding between American students and those of other countries. YES students share their host families' everyday lives, engage in school activities and volunteer in their communities. This exchange was facilitated by AFS (American Field Service), which had its origins as a volunteer ambulance corps in 1914 and has now metamorphosed into the world's most experienced international student exchange organization with programmes in over 50 countries and over 100,000 volunteers.

In 2009-10, for the first time, five high school students from the US came to India under this exchange programme, and our School hosted two of them. Participants of this exchange programme undergo many challenging transitions as they experience a new cultural context; a second language and a different academic environment. AFS plays an important role in helping participants make these transitions across cultures by serving as a cultural bridge for these students.

This programme reinforces cultural self-awareness by making students reflect on their own cultural identity; recognize their own cultural values, and consider how these might play out in another culture or a culturally diverse environment. Cultural self-awareness is clearly one of the learning goals to take into consideration when running programmes at AFS.

Student Exchange Programme with IES Ramiro de Maeztu and SEK Ciudalcampo International School,  Madrid, Spain:

Our students visited two schools in Madrid, Spain - IES Ramiro de Maeztu and SEK Ciudalcampo. Both these are leading schools in Spain and offer the Spanish Baccalaureate and the International Baccalaureate. The visit gave students opportunities to learn more about the culture and history of Spain by visiting historical places and monuments. In Madrid, students visited Royal Palace, Prado Museum, Real Madrid San Bernabeu Stadium, Debot Temple, Plaza Mayor and Plaza de España; they also visited Segovia and Escorial, two cities in the outskirts of Madrid, which are known for their monuments and rich cultural heritage. Spanish Language enrichment was another objective of this visit and our students made very effective use of the several interactive sessions they have had with the Spanish students of these two schools.

Teacher Exchange Programmes:

Two of our teachers have recently participated in the TEA (The Teaching Excellence and Achievement Programme) initiated by Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. This programme provides secondary-school teachers from Europe, Eurasia, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Western Hemisphere with unique opportunities to develop expertise in their subject areas; enhance their teaching skills, and increase their knowledge about the United States.

The teachers participating in the TEA travel to the United States to participate in a six-week professional development programme at a US university. This is followed by a reciprocal visit by US teachers to work on joint teacher-training projects in TEA alumni schools overseas. TEA also provides follow-on grants to the TEA international alumni to purchase essential materials for their schools, offer follow-on training for other teachers, and conduct activities that will build on the exchange visits.

Indo French Exchange Programme 2010-2011

The Indo- French exchange programme aims at providing an opportunity to students of DAIS and L'Ermitage School (Paris) with an exhilarating cultural and learning experience. By providing them with a chance to stay with their host families, engage in a vibrant cultural dialogue with their peers, and by getting involved in the school's community service projects; they will be better empowered to understand local and national issues that would enrich them as truly global learners.

Students of L'Ermitage School visit to Mumbai, February 2011

Seventeen students from L'Ermitage School, Paris visited Dhirubhai Ambani International School in February 2011, as a part of yearly Indo- French Exchange Programme. This year's programme was aimed at promoting cultural as well as community service experiences that motivate students to develop a life-long commitment towards service and a healthy perspective on multiculturalism. The French students mainly contributed to two service project of the school during their stay – Village Empowerment and Eye camp. As a part of the Village Empowerment Project, students visited the village of Hassichipatti and participated in activities such as in laying the foundation for the Computer Laboratory facility, fixing furniture for the village school, and helping for the Eye Care screening project. DAISight Service students and French students conducted an Eye Camp for the villagers, and DAISight partnered with Dr Sujal Shah's team from Sir H. N. Hospital (Mumbai) and Lotus School of Optometry and Hospital (Juhu - Mumbai) on this eye camp. The French students also had an opportunity to visit the DAIS service partners, other NGOs and centres such as ACROSS THE ROAD.

During their stay in Mumbai, they stayed with their host families and experienced the flavour of both Indian cuisine and culture. Their visits to various places in Mumbai and a Day-long tour 'Mumbai Darshan', added to the excitement of the cultural experience of the Indo - French Exchange Programme!

DAIS students with L'Ermitage School, Paris March 2011

Sixteen DAIS students went on a ten day educational and cultural exchange trip to Paris between 11th and 20th March 2011 as a part of the school's regular cultural exchange programme with L'Ermitage School at Maisons-Laffitte, a northern suburb of Paris. The home stay with host families benefited both students and host families in terms of an exchange of customs, ideas and cultures. Together the host families and students shared an understanding of their cultures, cuisine, and were able to build a lasting relationship.

As the trip was intended be a cultural experience for all involved, visiting historical as well as cultural repositories of Paris and Versailles was an integral and essential part of the this exchange programme. Students got an opportunity to spend considerable amount of time at the Musée du Louvre, and saw the grandeur of French and Greek sculptures, Italian renaissance paintings, and Sumerian wall; visited Cathédral de Notre Dame noted for its Gothic architecture and stained glass glory; enjoyed the beauty of Musée d'Orsay's collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art; visited the Montmartre area in Paris, where the Sacré Coeur is located The trip to Château de Versailles was an unforgettable experience to each one as the palace of Louis XIV houses objects that depict unbelievable opulence and ornamentation enjoyed by the royal class. The visit to historical palaces was an incredible experience to the students as they were exposed to a wealth of knowledge, sources of information and opportunities to engage in discussions, and became culturally and more knowledgeable.

Yet another aspect of the trip was that DAIS students got some time to interact with the Primary schoolers of L' Ermitage school, and gave them a flavour of India, with an action-packed Bollywood dance session followed by individual presentations in each class answering the kids' questions about life in India - "How is your dress made?", "What kind of food do you eat?" and "What does the 'bindi' really signify?" Primary students shared French food with Indian students, and asked questions related to Indian attire and culture. DAIS students' interaction with the students of L'Ermitage was really a great feeling at the end and their experiencing of French cultures really gave them whole new perspectives on learning. The trip was "truly an experience of a lifetime!'' said Aditya Jain.