The Rysensteen Gymnasium exchange first started in the fall of 2017 and allowed more of our Tabor community to connect with more institutions globally. Through this exchange, both the Danish students and Tabor students can learn from other’s cultures and traditions. The Rysensteen students stayed with host families for four days and attended classes here. Later in the year, Tabor students will have the opportunity to visit Denmark on an academic exchange to continue learning and to foster strong global connections.
This year, we welcome the students from Rysensteen Gymnasium once more. They started staying with host families on Friday, October 4, and left on Thursday, October 10. Throughout the stay, the students joined in on classes with the Tabor student body and experienced what it’s like to be a part of the Tabor community.
To welcome the teachers and students from Denmark, there was a welcome reception in the Travis Roy Campus Center. Off-campus hosts and host families could introduce their visitors to other members of the Tabor community informally; some even attended the Pep Rally before leaving to spend the weekend with their host families.
Throughout the Rysensteen students’ stay, they also traveled to Newport and Providence, attended ceramics classes, and visited the New Bedford Whaling Museum.
Hosting these exchange students was a valuable experience for Tabor students. Ella O’Brien ‘27 said, “I think hosting is pretty good. I’ve hosted a girl from France before, but this is my first time hosting a student from Denmark. The time with the Danish students is short, but it’s still fun having them around.”
“My student went to the fireside chat about the economy and enjoyed that. We also went to old bookstores and cafes around my area during the weekend,” she added, noting
that it was good to hear different ideas and perspectives and, ultimately, to find common ground.
Although the Rysensteen students have left campus, many Tabor students are already looking forward to seeing them during the Denmark trip over this coming March break.
