Glen Rock student proposes short-term exchange with Paris-area high school

An 11th-grade Glen Rock High School student, Jenna Yim, presented a proposal to the Glen Rock Board of Education for a short-term cultural exchange with Lycée Honoré de Balzac, a large public high school in Paris.

Yim told the board she has studied French for five years, has family and friends in Paris, and helped contact the French school. She said the program would prioritize juniors and seniors, last roughly five to seven days for the initial trips, and use home stays with French students when possible. "It's affordable, accessible, has emotional appeal to French students, allows us to immerse in French culture and language, and makes lifelong international connections," Yim said.

Dr. Charleston, a district administrator who introduced the item, told the board that the proposal is in an early stage. He said the district and the French school have exchanged initial emails and that the next steps include phone conversations and an authorized site visit. "Before we send students overseas, especially for home stays, it does require a site visit," he said, and added that the board would need to authorize an administrator to travel for at least three days to confirm housing and school facilities.

Board members asked about school size, likely trip dates and student interest. Yim said she surveyed French Club members (25 respondents) and that most respondents preferred five to seven days and indicated willingness to stay with French students. When asked about timing, she said many respondents favored November break but that final dates would depend on the two schools' calendars and district logistics.

Board members and staff described next steps as continued conversations with the Paris school and follow-up with the student; Dr. Charleston said the administration would pursue site-visit arrangements and hoped to report back to the board at a future meeting. No formal motion or vote to authorize travel or funding was taken at the meeting.

The presentation was limited to discussion and planning; costs, fundraising strategies and exact dates remain to be defined. Yim described potential funding sources including donations, bake-sales, crowdfunding and partnerships with local businesses. She provided estimated airfare examples in her presentation but acknowledged those are preliminary.

The board did not adopt any policy or commit funds at the meeting; administrators said additional vetting and an in-person site review would be required if the district moves forward.