Your Education
High School Exchanges
CLASSIC PROGRAMME
The Your Education Classic Exchange Programme is a traditional exchange programme designed for students who are open to living anywhere in Aotearoa, New Zealand, including smaller townships and rural areas. They are students who want to fully experience the daily life and culture here in New Zealand. As a Classic Exchange Student, they must be prepared to fully integrate into their Kiwi host family, school, and community. From our holiday traditions, family celebrations, food, school subjects, Māori culture, and sporting opportunities, students will have the opportunity to become just like a Kiwi during their time here.
Classic Exchange Students are supported by a passionate group of Local Area Representatives from around New Zealand. These Local Area Representatives take pride in matching students to volunteer host families who are wanting to share their life here in New Zealand with the students and learn a bit about the students’ culture in return. The families can be single people or couples, younger or older, with or without children, but they all share their desire to support students in having an amazing exchange experience here in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
A Classic Exchange is an amazing opportunity for any student who is open to all the differences, wanting to live their life here as a Kiwi.
Kia ora. My name is Fiona, and I am the New Zealand Classic Manager with Your Education. I have over 30 years’ experience in the exchange industry. This started as a teenager when I went on 2 exchanges myself, then being a host sister to students coming to New Zealand. As soon as I was able, I volunteered to host students myself, having hosted multiple students from around Europe and Asia. From there I started working as a Local Area Representative to support students coming to New Zealand and their host families. In 2014 I joined Your Education to manager and oversee our Classic Exchange Programme.
HOST FAMILY STORIES
The biggest and undoubtedly most important part of the exchange experience for the exchange students arriving to New Zealand is the host family they live with. We have dozens of host families making a difference every day in the lives of these students, and we are always on the look out for families who would love to welcome an exchange student in their home and family.
