It’s amazing how quickly time has passed, how much has changed and the amount of personal growth that can occur in just two years.
2020 marks the second reciprocal international exchange between BookBridge Arvaikheer and the FIS. Between March 18 and April 3, 2020, eight students and two teachers from Arvaikheer, Mongolia will be visiting the FIS for a cultural, language and service-learning exchange. This will be followed by eight FIS students spending their spring break in Arvaikheer.
Since the last exchange, Uuganaa (Center Manager) has encouraged her students to step outside of their comfort zone, make sustainable contributions in their community and, most importantly, support one another to do the best they can. Even though several of the first set of exchange students graduated from school and have flown the nest, they have taken the time to mentor, support and encourage the next team. Each of the 2018 batch students is an inspirational role model within BookBridge Arvaikheer. This sense of community and team encompasses the true value that reciprocal and organic service-learning can have in empowering young people on an international platform.
As part of their exchange, the 2020 Arvaikheer team will be helping Early Years, Elementary School and Middle School students to explore and inquire about Mongolian geography, culture and traditions. Additionally, they will take part in the MYP3 MUN Conference (March 19, 2020), attend Higher Education Day (March 24, 2020) and traveling to back to their roots in Neumarkt to stay with the Scouts, where the Arvaikheer connection began ten years ago, as well as some local leisure, sport and tourism activities in the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region.
A huge thank you to the FIS community for supporting the fundraising which has enabled this exchange to be sustained, and for hosting our guests and making them feel part of our school. In order to celebrate this partnership, we invite all of you to a Cultural Ceilidh, pronounced Kay-lee (a convivial evening social visit) on Thursday, April 2, 2020, from 18:00 to 20:00 in the Aula.
More information will follow in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!
Captured above:
Top row: Choijoo, Shinee, Bilgee, Buba, Uuganaa, Begzee, Nomin, Ema (2018), Nandia, Bamo (2018); bottom row: Naraa (2018), Pujee (2018), Osu (2018), Seegi (2018), Buyanaa (2018), Oba, Tumee.
Missing from photo: Haliunaa (2018), currently studying in the US.
BookBridge@the-fis
