Horace Greeley junior Alec Sherman has traveled to many places, but living and studying in
Australia has given him a new perspective on life. And as a result of his hard work since returning to the
U.S., two current Chappaqua eighth-graders will receive a similar experience in the summer of 2010.
Sherman spent eighth and ninth grades in Melbourne, Australia attending Carey Grammar
School. His experience was so positive that upon his return, Sherman sought to institute a foreign
exchange program at Greeley so that future students could have the same experience he did.
Sherman started the foreign exchange club at the school which has three current members,
Sherman, his sister Katie and fellow Greeley student Victoria Foo. As a new group, they hope to add
more members in the 2009-10 school year, particularly ones with interest in studying in Australia.
“I just thought it was an amazing experience and I want to share it with anyone who’s willing to
go,” said Sherman. “I wanted to do something to share that with the Horace Greeley community.”
Greeley has never had a foreign exchange program, while Carey is well-known for theirs.
Students at the school have the opportunity to study in France, England, Canada, New Zealand,
Germany and China, but never the United States. Sherman discussed the possibility of setting up an
exchange program with the head of exchanges at Carey and put together a proposal when he returned
to Greeley in the fall of 2007. He approached 10th-grade assistant principal Michele Glenn with his idea
which went as far as the school board and Superintendent David Fleischman, who initially said the
school did not have the ability to support an exchange program. But one of the board’s major goals is
the support of student-driven initiatives like Sherman’s.
“We wanted to find a way to support Alec and let him have the best shot of having his vision
realized,” said Glenn. “He came to me with tremendous passion and incredible energy that has been
unflagging for over a year. When he came to me, I thought ‘This is what we’re really about.’ This
student has a vision, where do we go from here.”
Glenn met with Fleischman and Greeley principal Andrew Selesnick to figure out a way to make
Sherman’s vision come to fruition. Since the school was unable to sponsor such a program, they came
to the conclusion that Sherman would have to found an outside agency to handle the logistics of the
program, and the school would support the program if the search was successful.
“Of course we’re excited,” said Selesnick. “It’s an incredibly exciting opportunity for our
students so we’re thrilled to have it.”
Sherman talked to many agencies in the area, and most only supported year-long exchanges.
Since the Greeley-Carey exchange was only a seven-week endeavor, Sherman and his family had to do a
lot of research to find an outside agency to support the exchange.
Sherman eventually was able to find a sponsor, The Lions Club of Pound Ridge, to support the
program. He initially contacted the Mount Kisco Lions Club, who passed the idea on to Dan Bathrick of
the Pound Ridge chapter. The Lions have been involved in youth exchanges for more than 20 years, but
with 16-and-17-year-olds over a five-week span during the summer, with no connection to schooling
and a focus on travel around the country. Regardless, Bathrick was excited to sponsor Sherman’s
exchange.
“By all means, I’m interested in promoting the youth exchange within reason,” said Bathrick.
“The concept is really to expose the children to new cultures and make new friends so they become
more understanding of the differences throughout the world. The students will benefit because they’ll
be exposed to the different cultures that Australia and America offer.”
Since the exchange is not a school-sponsored program and Greeley does not have a full-time
employee dedicated to exchanges like Carey, the Lions will provide liability insurance, handle
applications, interview candidates and make all exchange-related decisions. They will also involve the
exchange students in youth programs sponsored by the Lions, including the Lions Model United Nations.
As a result of Sherman, Glenn and Bathrick’s efforts, two students will receive the opportunity
to study for seven weeks in Australia, from July 3, 2010 until August 21, 2010. Two students from Carey
will come to Greeley from February 6 until March 27 of the same year. The families of the students
involved in the program will serve as the host families for the exchange students.
T
Carey is a private school with a few major differences from Greeley. Students are required to
wear uniforms and are issued a laptop computer for use in all of their classes. While many public-school
children would cringe at the idea of wearing uniforms, Sherman actually preferred it.
“It was kind of nice having everyone in one set of clothes, so it’s never about who’s wearing this,
who’s wearing that or who’s wearing the latest fashion,” said Sherman.
Another major difference between Carey and Greeley is the House system at Carey. There are
10 houses, each of which consists of 10-15 students from each grade level, seventh through 12th. Each
House participates in fundraisers and games as well as other friendly competitions. The system also
allows younger students to interact with high school seniors and juniors and learn from them. All
students in a particular House have one mentor from grades seven through nine and another from
grades 10 through 12. These mentors are similar to guidance counselors at Greeley.
Carey also treats education differently. Australian students are required to take an exam in
every subject after they complete high school, and these scores determine where these students can go
to college. The educational system is built up to the high school level, and education isn’t as much of a
priority until 10th grade.
“In the U.S. and at Greeley, everyone’s trying to get the best grade and it’s focused around
college,” said Sherman. “Although education is really important at Carey, everyone was a little more
relaxed and it was a different form of social networking. Everyone was calm, polite and wanted to bring
you in.”
Intense competition still exists at Carey, which offers International Baccalaureate Program
classes, similar to Advanced Placement classes at Greeley. Students who do well enough to get into
these classes are better prepared for the college placement exams as a result. Sherman compared it to
taking AP classes in preparation for the Regents exam. Carey allows follows the quarter system, with
two months off for summer and two-to-three weeks off between other quarters.
One of the major adjustments moving to Australia after living in the U.S. is the weather. In the
winter months of June through August, the temperature rarely drops below 50 degrees, while in the
summer it can get as hot as 110 degrees. The Shermans spent the majority of their time during their
two years in Melbourne outside.
“It was great being outside all the time,” said Sherman. “Here during the winter, it’s cold and
everyone stays inside, but we were able to stay outside for the majority of the months of the year.”
Australia is also much different in terms of transportation. Everybody drives in the U.S., but that
isn’t the case in Australia, where they are sidewalks everywhere and a tram system to every major street
and attraction. Sherman always felt safe walking and taking the tram everywhere, and preferred it to
the constant driving in the U.S.
Sherman hasn’t just traveled to Australia. He has also been to Mexico, the Bahamas, Aruba,
Hong Kong, China, Paris, Hawaii and Fiji among others.
“I’ve been really fortunate to be able to travel that much,” said Sherman. “It’s an amazing
experience being able to see new places and learn other cultures. It gives you a new sense of the world
and you see different opinions of how people think of the U.S. and in general. Going somewhere where
you don’t know anyone is going to benefit you in the future when you go away to college.”
Sherman would like to study abroad in college or attend an international school where traveling
is encouraged. While he was in Australia, he had no issues keeping in contact with people in America
thanks to Facebook, instant messenger and Internet phones. Given the choice to attend Greeley or
Carey, Sherman was torn.
“I loved Australia and I definitely want to go back there,” he said. “My friends just made it such
a good environment for me and I definitely liked living in Australia more than the U.S. But I missed [all
my friends in America] so much that I knew I would have to come back.”
Education was more relaxed at Carey and there was a focus on the environment and the
outdoors rather than schoolwork. Sherman enjoyed many camping trips and outback experiences
during his time in Australia as well.
“They were focused a lot on doing stuff outside of school, but in the end I’m split between the
two. I can’t choose one over the other.”
Sherman’s experience going to school on the other side of the world for two years changed
many of his views and perspectives and was the major reason he pursued the implementation of an
exchange program at Greeley. He compared his experience to going away to sleepaway camp.
“In a sense it’s like you’re going away to college, but then again it’s kind of like a sleepaway
camp,” said Sherman. “With the exchange program, you’re going to be with a different family that’s
going to want to embrace you and take you on as another child. You always have someone there from
you, so I would say it’s more like a sleepaway camp.”
“These opportunities don’t come up all the time and being able to go to Australia, it’s something
no one else has the opportunity to do right now,” said Sherman. “I know my brother and sister are
talking about it to their friends and this club was made to share the experience with everyone.
Hopefully we’ll be able to send two kids to Australia in the summer of 2010.”
Selesnick
Has to make recommendation to superintendent, met with Michelle about program, there is district
policy on foreign exchange program (bringing guest in)
Discussed outside agency with Michelle (Lions)
Had to be outside group, school can only control school part
Dan Bathrick
“This is not new to Lions International”
1500-2000 children from throughout the world (Japan, India, U.S.)
1 week with host family
2 weeks in Lions youth camp program
1 more week with host
Then home
“The Pound Ridge Lions Club and Lions International are extremely happy to sponsor this program, to
assist Horace Greeley High school in the development of their international foreign exchange program.”
Michele Glenn
School does not facilitate exchanges
Foreign exchange club – then referred to Lions
“This gives our students an opportunity to have a more global experience, as well as the students from
Australia.”
“When he and I met, he was very eloquent and he was able to clearly state what he wanted to do and
why he wanted to do it.”
Spoke with principal and superintendent after speaking with Alec about possibility of exchange
Information sessions – parents of current 8th graders
Alec/Katie gave presentation
“This was so student-driven with the amount of energy and attention to detail and stamina. This was
over the course of a year where [Alec] really stuck with it and said ‘I want to make this happen.’”
Katie made presentation in Australia as well