On Friday, Tabor Academy welcomed 20 students and two teachers from Beques, Spain. One of the teachers was returning to Tabor, as well as several siblings of past exchange students who visited two or even four years ago when the exchange began.
Day students and some faculty families volunteered to host the Spanish students in their homes for 12 days, allowing them an immersion into American culture and life at Tabor. These American host students and their friends will find the opportunity equally rich. If experience holds, the Spanish students will make friends far and wide at Tabor, making quite a splash! In June, twenty Tabor students – not necessarily the hosts – will travel to Spain to live with the Spanish students in their homes, allowing an even broader reach to this successful cultural exchange.
After a weekend where they were free to be with their host families or attend the school trip to Cambridge to enjoy the Head of the Charles Regatta, the students arrived for a very full day at Tabor. They started in Chapel with a great talk about community, followed by a day of classes and sports. They ended the day with the keynote speech by Brown University’s Alan Harlam about ways college students are changing the world through social entrepreneurship. What a first day!
The rest of the week they are scheduled to visit area attractions such as the New Bedford Whaling Museum as well as learn about Tabor and Marion’s own history and charm. Of course, they will also be treated to a sail on Tabor Boy! Mostly, however, the students will be doing what they love best: shadowing their new American friends and enjoying all that Tabor has to offer at the school by the sea!