Medford School Committee approves pilot student exchange with Italian high school

The Medford School Committee on Feb. 26 approved a pilot international student exchange with a high school in the Veneto region of Italy, voting 7-0 to authorize planning and recruitment for host families and student participation.

The approved pilot calls for a visit by up to 17 Italian students and two teachers to Medford in October 2025 and a trip by a Medford group of about 15 students to Italy in April 2026. The committee framed the program as a small, experimental effort intended to test logistics, hosting, and academic alignment before any broader rollout.

Assistant Superintendent Peter Cushing and Vilma Badeau, director of world languages, presented the proposal. Cushing said the district had been approached by a school near Venice and had worked with a travel agency, described in the presentation as Promoter, to assemble a program package. Badeau said the experience is designed to “immerse” students in language and culture and to create multiyear friendships between host- and visiting-students.

Cushing described program basics and eligibility rules presented to the committee: participants would be predominantly high-school students, the pilot group would be limited to roughly 10–17 students, and the itinerary would include five to six days in the partner school plus day trips to Milan, Verona and Venice. He told the committee the tentative outbound travel dates are April 15–20, 2026, and that the visiting group would come in October 2025; the exact dates would depend on approvals from the partner school and final travel planning.

Cushing also told the committee the vendor package includes a cancellable policy the district plans to make available to families: “we are also, just so that the committee is aware… offering, for $52 included in the overall price, a cancel at any time policy up to 48 hours prior to departure,” he said. The presenters said academic eligibility rules under consideration would include minimum grade and conduct standards and required participation in pre-trip orientations and journaling but that some details were still being finalized.

Committee members asked about equity and capacity. Member Reinfeld asked what would happen if demand exceeded the pilot cap; Cushing and Badeau said the district would prioritize seniors for this first trip and is exploring scholarship supports and possibly using recently approved grant funds to offset costs. Member In Tapa asked whether executive orders or travel restrictions might interfere; Cushing said nothing known at the time suggested a likely impact.

The motion to approve planning and recruitment for the pilot was made by Member Olapade and seconded by Member Brantley; Member Russo called the roll. The vote was 7-0 in favor.

The committee directed staff to begin host-family outreach, finalize eligibility and scholarship criteria, and coordinate dates with the Italian school and the travel vendor. Staff said they would return with more detailed logistics and cost breakdowns if the pilot moves forward.

The exchange is described in the district materials as a pilot and contingent on further approvals and family participation; the committee did not authorize specific spending beyond standard program planning and outreach.

Evidence from the meeting indicates the district intends to proceed cautiously with a small cohort and to seek financial supports and explicit family agreements before finalizing travel.