Over spring break, Baldwin’s Spanish and French students will explore Spain and France through language immersion trips in order to practice their respective languages outside the classroom. 

During the Spanish trip, students will visit Spain through a program that ran prior to COVID-19. Students will live with host families in a town near Málaga, and attend classes at the Colegio Maravillas in Benalmádena. Students will visit other historical cities including Seville, Cordoba, and Granada. 

Aleida Skogland ‘23 said, “Students are given an amazing experience to travel abroad and be part of the culture that they have been learning throughout high school.” 

Sra. Sacerio, who is organizing the Spanish trip, said, “One of the highlights of this trip is seeing how Spain was a crossroad of cultures during the middle ages.” 

According to Sra. Sacerio, another benefit of the trip is that students get to experience the aspects of daily life they might not learn about in a textbook. She said, “Benalmádena is a normal Spanish town with regular Spanish people… The students get a sense of everyday life in Southern Spain.”

The French trip is a similar school-sponsored program, where students will live with host families after spending three nights in Paris. Along with visiting museums, monuments, and restaurants, students will attend classes at Lycée Mongré, a school near Lyon, France.

Mme. Mariette, Head of the Language Department, said students “will experience life firsthand in France. They will learn about the culture and history of France while living with French families, attending classes, and touring Paris and the Beaujolais region.” 

However, many Baldwin seniors were disappointed to learn that 12th graders cannot take part in the French exchange. 

Mme. Mariette explained, “Through the exchange program, French families will host American students this year, while American students are expected to reciprocate next year by hosting the French students.”

Since they are graduating this spring, current seniors will be unable to host a French student next year. 

Camille Stecker ‘23 felt there could have been a compromise. She said, “I am disappointed about the cancellation.” 

Although many seniors in the French program were unhappy to learn that they cannot participate in the exchange, underclassmen look forward to spring break and the adventures that await them abroad. 

As Mme. Mariette said, “Students can seize countless opportunities for personal growth and maturity as they navigate their way through this life-enriching experience.”