Student Exchanges and International Projects

We have been running a very successful exchange programme with the Immanuel-Kant Gymnasium in Hamburg since 1987. Transition Year students participate in a three-week exchange programme during which they will stay in their exchange partners’ homes and complete two weeks of work experience in placements provided by the Rotary Club in Hamburg. They will also go on various day trips to places of interest around Hamburg and also to Berlin.

This EU-funded project was introduced to St. Kilian’s in 2019 and runs over a two-year cycle. Together with the other participating schools from Germany, Spain and Estonia, selected students from 11th Class will jointly research topics relating to the history in their locality. The general topic of the project 2019-21 is ‘Freiheit braucht ihre Geschichte’ (‘Freedom needs its history’). Apart from gaining unique insights into the culture and history of the countries of the participating schools, the result of the research could also become part of a Leaving Certificate German or Sprachdiplom II project.

The student exchange programme with the Siebold Gymnasium in Würzburg was initiated in 2010 and has become an integral part of our school curriculum. The programme gives our 7th class students the opportunity to visit the city of Würzburg and to improve their German language skills during a stay in a German host family. Apart from experiencing a normal school day at the Gymnasium, they also have the opportunity to visit famous sights in this wonderful city and region.

The Cologne Exchange with the Liebfrauenschule in Cologne was initiated in 2018. 8th class students spend an exciting week in the beautiful city of Cologne, filled with various educational and cultural activities. They are able to experience a typical German school day with classes in Latin, Maths and Science, as well as a visit to the former West German capital city, Bonn.

This is a relatively new student exchange for our 8th class with the German International School in The Hague. Students do not only visit each other’s schools and cities but they work on a collaborative project together. Topics have included the environmental issue of plastics in the ocean and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. They research a topic and present their findings to the group.