Rye Country Day was delighted to introduce Language Exchange Programs during the 2024-25 school year to allow Upper School students the opportunity to deepen their language skills and gain a more robust understanding of foreign practices and cultures. The program’s destination countries—China, France, and Spain—match with the RCDS Upper School modern language offerings.

The exchange trip to China was coordinated by Upper School Chinese Teacher Joanne Shang, and was designed to foster meaningful connections that will extend well beyond the duration of the trip. While this year focused on RCDS students traveling to Shanghai, next year their Chinese counterparts will visit Rye Country Day School, strengthening the global connections they formed and completing the exchange element of the program.

The eight Upper Schoolers participating in the exchange program departed New York on March 15 and arrived in Shanghai, a city where ancient traditions famously meet modern innovation. During their first week in China, the RCDS cohort stayed in the on-campus dorms and attended classes with their Chinese peers of Fudan High School (affiliate of Fudan University). Alongside their host students, the Upper Schoolers attended classes, such as geography, biology, Math,  or English as a second language, and engaged in specially designed courses by Fudan’s faculty members. The group was met with terrific hospitality from the host school, which provided warm welcomes, comfortable accommodations, delicious meals, and excursions after lunch each day. Each afternoon, the students ventured into Shanghai and visited iconic landmarks like the Bund, Zhujiajiao Water Town, and Yu Garden, experiencing firsthand the vibrant energy of the city.

The RCDS students further deepened their relationships with the local community by spending a weekend with their respective host families. Activities included enjoying hot pot, biking, shopping, visiting the foot spa, preparing dumplings, and spending the day at Shanghai Disneyland. The Upper Schoolers developed meaningful friendships with their Chinese hosts through conversations about similar interests and a desire to learn more about each other’s cultures.

The second week of the exchange program took the RCDS cohort on excursions to nearby cities including Suzhou, Nanjing, and Hangzhou, where students engaged in hands-on explorations of UNESCO World Heritage sites and traditional Chinese arts.

In Suzhou, students learned the intricate techniques of Su embroidery and participated in a Hanfu cosplay experience set in a classical garden. In Nanjing, they attended a traditional dance workshop at the Nanjing University of the Arts, visited the Nanjing Massacre Memorial, and explored the vibrant night market along the Qinhuai River.

Traveling by high-speed rail to Hangzhou, the cohort visited Zhejiang University and the China National Silk Museum, experienced tea picking, roasting, and brewing at the Meijiawu Tea Plantation, toured the scenic West Lake, and carved their own personalized name seals—connecting deeply with the cultural and artistic heritage of each city.

The eight Upper Schoolers returned to New York on March 29 following two memorable weeks of language, culture, and global learning. Students will continue to keep in regular contact with their peers from Fudan High School and their host families, and they look forward to welcoming their Chinese counterparts to Rye Country Day and the United States in February 2026.