Youth Exchange, 2015 (Russia-the USA)

This year we're going to visit our good partners from the USA (NC, New Bern) again. Some of students have already become good friends! It's really a great opportunity for all the students as well as for the teachers to have an amazing experience of communication and global understanding!




Anna Beketova, grade 9

Anastasiya Khudyakova, grade 8



Alexandra Shavrina, grade 8



Svetlana Vyshivanova, grade 8



Alexandr Vorobyov, grade 9



Alexandra Akeleva, grade 8

The first day has already started. All the students are so excited about the new exchange and the new opportunities!Our arrival was so late but host families met us near the school presenting us their real American Hollywood smiles))) Even being terribly tired after the 25th hour trip we felt so happy! It's great that we can say "hi, friends" greeting people from the other side of the planet. Actually Friendship is a universal language that can make hearts kinder and souls clearer! 

Sasha Shavrina: "The first day was cool and even great! The day began with a big all-school meeting.
After meeting we spent time at the lessons. All guys liked a teaching manner,a school,friendly and communicative students and teachers. We told about ourselves, about Russia and Chelyabinsk. At some lessons Russian students had lots of fun: played soccer, watched the launch of rockets and even cut out faces of pumpkins!

After all the lessons we had a city tour, had lunch in the park and visited an ancient church. Many children were impressed the beauty of the church. After we had free time. We enjoyed ice cream and coffee. Moreover Russian students visited Pepsi Shop and tasted real Pepsi! Each Russian student received a gift from  Epiphany school.

Our day finished with a great  Welcome Party, where all students, families and teachers knew each other better.

The first day went off with a bang!"

Ilia : "...This day was great I was riding a horse and I knew a lot about horse behavior from Susan"

Anastasiya : "...we watched an American movie with Mary, and just have a great time!"

Tatiana : "...my host sister is so interesting, I really like the first day in America."

Nastya : "...I met friends from the  last year exchange and it was fantastic to hear from them "Welcome back, Nastya!" So, it was really cool!"

Iliya Pechenkin about the second day...

"Today we visited incredibly beautiful aquarium with different types of fish .

More over we have been on the beach , we played frees-bee and football there. After 3pm we could do whatever we wanted with our host.

As for me and Alex, we were on a boat and had dinner in great restaurant "Chelsea" with our host families .

Down there you can see what the other guys did 

Sveta: "The day was long but interesting. We spent time with a group and our host families. It was really amazing"
Anna: "The day was wonderful. We talked with our host families and learned new about them"
Tanya: "Every day in America gives me new emotions, it is fascinating. We were on the beach and saw an ocean, ocean was incredible. Moreover I had a great time with my host family, now they know more about me and I know more about them. What a great day!
Alex: "It was a great day. I visited wonderful places and spoke with American students a lot. Also we had a great evening".
Nastya: "It was a very interesting and an amazing day! I visited many interesting places and saw many things!"
Sasha: "It was a very funny and long day.I visited great places and spent a happy time with my host family!!"
Anastasia: 'This day was so amazing! I really enjoyed trying new things and especially communicating with my host sister. It is so wonderful to learn traditions of the other countries and discover a lot of fantastic things!"
Alexandra: "It was an exciting day. We were in an aquarium and I really enjoyed it, I saw very beautiful fish, we also were on the beach where we played and knew each other better."

Anastasia Khudyakova is reflecting the next day in such a way:

"International exchange - is a great opportunity to learn another culture, learn how to live as American people! For Russian students (for us exactly) to communicate with Americans is a unforgetable and useful experience, every day we are enjoying being in America and spending time with Americans! 

Also every day we have a really incredible program, our host families do as much as they can, and we have extreme fun! We appreciate it greatly. They show us different places, every student from Russia has already visited a lot of stunning places! 
For example: 

Tanya: Today I was in Raleigh with my family, I was in a National Science Museum, it was incredible and very interesting! Also I was watching movie in English, and I was happy because I understood everything. Hope next day will be as perfect as today!
Sveta: It was very cool today. My host family  and I went to Wilmington where we went to a trampoline park, then went on a big boat, and finished the trip with shopping. We made friends with my family, I had a lot of fun and got cool emotions!
Anna:I was at Science and history Museums with my family at Raleigh. It was really amazing!
Ilya:Today we were shooting the pumpkins with Camden,Bryce,Charlie ,Chris and Samantha, it was awesome! Also we did barbecue and smores.
Alexandra:It was one more good day to practise English. We were in Raleigh and spent time riding there. After dinner we had shopping, and doing it we learned each others' favorite stores. I really improved my English!
Alex:It was really cool day. I with my host family went to a football match. I love this day.
Sasha:Today we had an amazing day. I and my family visited Beach Gardens. It was a really cool place for me. I met old friends. I received unforgettable emotions and I was very tired. 
Nastya: Today it was very exciting and interesting day. My family and I visited Hayride in the summer camp. There we had dinner and camp fire. So, it was really an amazing day!

So, when we get a lot of positive emotions, we want to give more and more to our new friends back! Hope that next days will be also very incredible and excellent too!" 

Alexandra Akeleva told us about the fourth day:

"Our team spent a weekend with American families. Sunday the guys had a lot of fantastic moments with families. Someone went to Church, rode on a boat, and someone was even lucky enough to learn to play Golf and help the children prepare to Hallowen. Today, the Russian students were able to take in the sights of the real America, to practice English, and learn about the traditions of this amazing country. About the impressions of the guys about that day, you can see below:

Sasha: Today I and my family come back in New-Bern
It was long but I wasn't tired
After I visited Church
And I helped guys to prepare hall for holiday. It was really interesting and great. In Church I helped guys...
Sveta: Today was really amazing, because I spend this day with my family. We visited unpredictable places, and have any emotions. I was very happy, because visited a lot of attractions in amusement park. My host family is very nice, we made a friends now :)
I know, this experience will never been forgotten.
Alex: Today was really exiting day. I spent time with my host family and their friends. Now they are my friends too. First we visited a small school where we made a party for kids. Then we went to forest, where we shot on plates. It was for the first time for me, I won't forget it. It was really cool day. This day was for 5+
Tanya: Day started with the church, it is incredible to know about other religion. But the most wonderful thing was golf, I was playing like in a movie. I am feeling like I am in movie...
Anastasia: Today I for the first time I met American kids! ( I helped celebrate the holiday in honor of Halloween, by painting their faces) it was so cool! Americans really love children! And they do a lot for children! I liked it so much! Also I visited an American church and then went shopping! It was super! I had an excellent time with my host sister, today I lived like a American teen. I enjoyed my time today!
Anna: That day was wonderful. I looked the pray in the Catholic Church, was on the boat with Sasha and Lilly and played golf. I understood that I'm a really good golf player. 

Nastya: Today was fantastic day! All morning I spent in church. After church we went at home and relaxed ( I was really tired! ). In the afternoon Charlotte and me went to grammar lesson and after we went in the market. In the evening I went to church again and made Halloween party!"

Svetlana Vyshivanova about the fifth day of our exchange:

"Today was a very long and interesting day. We tired that we went for a long time and all very noisy. but was happy on arrival and we were surprised by the big city compared to New Bern. Аll guys were delighted with the Newseum, where we learned a lot about the news in our world. then we were pleased that we could walk to dinner and shopping. We bought what we wanted. it was very exciting, tired but cheerful, we got back to the hotel, and we had time to talk. it was nice to talk with the group, despite the fact that we were together all day. Then everyone went by the numbers, rest and gather strength before tomorrow.

Anna said: "That day was amazing. I had a long trip to Washington. There I was at interesting museum and at the big mall"Tatiana said:"I was in newseum it was wonderful, now I know more things about news. I am excited to visit other place in Washington, DC"Anastasia said:"Today was cool day! We visited a very interesting newseum! And I learnt a lot of new things!"Sasha said: 

"So,today was really long day.I liked newseum very much,it was interesting and great.Also I liked Washington, and I tired""

Anna Beketova about the sixth day of staying in the USA:

"This day was very hard. We walked a lot. Despite the long waiting for a bus, we got a lot of emotions. We visited many places: Arlington National Cemetery, the interesting Air and Space museum, the Holocaust museum, American History museum, the exciting Art museum. Even we saw the great White House! Certainly, we are very tired of this day, but we learned much interesting information."

Alexandr Vorobev was so impressed about the last day in Washington DC, that he was the first who shared the information of the day:

"Today was our last day in DC! This day was full of new information. "Today was fa abulous day,"- said Ilya. Today we visited the museum about American's presidents and their rules "I visited very impressive museum." - said Anastasia. We saw the declaration which was very helpful for understanding history. It was really interesting to know something new about the USA. "We were absolutely delighted by what it showed for us," - Svetlana.

After it we went home. During this trip we discussed the days that we spent in Washington, making plans for the future and joked and had fun. Everyone was happy to see their host families and friends. "it was nice to get back home :)"- Svetlana. It was long and difficult day, but everybody enjoyed it "Today was great day"- concluded Alexandra, "I love this day"- added she."

Anastasia Bondarenko shared her feelings about the eighth day of the sataying in the USA:

"This day was full of different events. In the morning we went to Oakwood School. Where we presenting the information about our country, our city, days off etc. All the children in that school were so nice and friendly with us. Every one liked that trip. The most interesting thing in the school was that many schoolchildren were from different countries. We was so excited to talk with children about their native countries.  It's amazing to have "the whole world" in one school! There were children from India, Egypt, Germany, Africa and so on. Everyone met new friends there.

Some of us pretended being a writer and wrote a poem. That was a very good experience because American poems looked different than ours. American kids were very excited getting the information about our country. I think they learned a lot about Russia. I hope that information that we gave to them will be shared with their friends and relatives! As for me the day was very productive and I saw new types of a school. When I saw kids working on their iPads but not just playing them I was very surprised! They didn't really play! They worked! No doubt during the day day everyone got something new! 

So,  that day was hard, but there was lots of fun for everyone!"

FINAL VIDEO (by Alexandra Akeleva)