Bethel Park student travels to Germany for school year
While this week marks the start of school for area students, River Hendrych-Bondra has already started classes … in Germany.
The Bethel Park student was selected for the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Scholarship. She was one of 250 American high school students to be awarded the opportunity to study in Germany for the 2022-23 academic year.
Between Aug. 11 and 13, Hendrych-Bondra traveled to Washington, D.C., for orientation, then left for Germany on Aug. 13. She is living with a host family, and attending a German high school while participating in language learning and cultural immersion training to gain a better understanding of the country’s culture, language and everyday life.
There will also be opportunities for cultural and political activities, such as a visit to the German Bundestag, meetings with American and German government officials, participation in intercultural seminars, and excursions to nearby cities, historical sites, and more.
CBYX is a bilateral exchange program co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and German Bundestag (Parliament). It was created to foster mutual understanding and strengthen ties between Germany and the U.S. through citizen diplomacy.
Not only do American students go abroad but German students can also come to live and study in the U.S. in order to promote the same level of understanding on both sides of the Atlantic.
For more information about the program visit: exchanges.state.gov/cbyx or contact AFS at cbyx@afsusa.org or 646-751-2161.
Visit www.afsusa.org/host-family/ to learn more about hosting an international high school exchange student.