Barcelona Exchange Deepens Global Connections at Friends

Friends recently welcomed five intrepid exchange students from Colegio Sant Ignasi in Barcelona, Spain—marking the third year of this global connection between the two schools. During their three-week stay, 10th graders Beth, Lucía, Pau, Cloe, and Rita immersed themselves in the life of Friends: attending classes, engaging in school activities, and sharing meals and traditions with their Friends host families.

Throughout their visit, the students experienced the vibrancy of New York City while also discovering how daily life here both differs from and resonates with their routines at home. From walks through Stuyvesant Square to visits to cultural landmarks—including a trip to the United Nations and an excursion to the Statue of Liberty—they explored the intersections of civic life, global citizenship, and community connection. At the Statue of Liberty, they considered the immigrant stories that ground us, took in the sweeping views, and expressed gratitude for an unforgettable experience in New York.

On campus, the exchange opened up meaningful moments of shared learning across divisions. Earlier in the week, Pau visited Grade 1 Spanish, where the School’s youngest language learners practiced greetings, asked simple questions, and discovered that the Spanish they are learning connects them to real people and real experiences. The visiting students and two Friends hosts also spoke in Middle School Meeting for Worship about the power of perspective taking. They reflected on what it feels like to step into someone else’s daily life—navigating a new school, a new city, and a new family routine—and how careful listening can expand understanding of community, both here and in Barcelona.

As their time in New York drew to a close, the group gathered for a farewell lunch with all of the visiting students, their Friends host students, and several host parents, including Dolly Mirchandani, Carlos Lazo, Julie Satow, and Meredith Barnett. It was a warm, multigenerational gathering marked by shared stories, conversation in two languages, and deep appreciation for the generosity of host families, who opened their homes and modeled hospitality in meaningful and lasting ways. As this chapter of the Barcelona Exchange comes to a close, students, families, and faculty carry forward new relationships, wider perspectives, and a renewed sense of how global connections can strengthen community.

Looking ahead, the exchange will continue in March, when Friends students Wave ’28, Dominique ’28, Teddy ’28, Sofia ’28, and Tyler ’28 travel to Barcelona to attend Colegio Sant Ignasi and live with host families there. The reciprocal structure of the program invites students to step out of their comfort zones and into new ways of learning, living, and seeing the world.

“This program is about so much more than travel,” said Kara Kutner, Director of the Center for Peace, Equity and Justice. “It’s about building relationships, cultivating empathy, and beginning to understand our place in a global community.” As the partnership between Friends Seminary and Sant Ignasi continues to evolve, so too does the School’s commitment to experiential learning rooted in curiosity, courage, and connection.