Semester Abroad
At Bethany Christian School, we believe that studying abroad is a transformative experience that provides an enormous opportunity for students to grow in many different areas of their lives. Living and studying in another country allows students to connect and learn from different contexts and cultures. Our mission is to prepare students to participate in God's work in the world. To that end cross cultural study equips students to be creative contributors to their local and global community. The school also lives out this mission by opening its doors to international students. Our community is enriched by the diverse perspectives that these students bring.
Bethany makes it possible for our students to travel and study abroad through the exchange program in Asunción Paraguay with Colegio Alemán Concordia, a private K-12 Mennonite school founded in 1975 by German-speaking Mennonites, where classes are taught in German and Spanish. As a part of the exchange, two students from Bethany study in Paraguay during the Fall semester and we reciprocate the experience hosting two students from Paraguay during the Spring semester. Last semester Bethany's students Faith Miller and Sophia Leaman were able to spend the 2025 Fall semester at Concordia. In return, their families will be hosting two students from Concordia during the Spring semester. The experiences that students on both ends acquire are enormous, and we are ready to start the selection process for the two students who will participate in the exchange program for the 2026-2027 school year exchange.
In 2010 Bethany developed a semester-long exchange program with a Mennonite school in Asunción, Paraguay: Colegio Alemán Concordia, a private Christian school founded in 1975 by German-speaking Mennonites that offers a K-12 program in Spanish.
Exchange details
- The exchange will consist of one or two Bethany student(s) attending Concordia from July to December of their sophomore year, while one or two Concordia student(s) in turn will attend Bethany from January through May of the same school year.
- Students will pay tuition at their home school and live with each other's families. Please note that students participating in this exchange program are required to host a Paraguayan student at no cost in the corresponding semester of the year.
- Students’ parents/legal guardians will sign documents to become legal custodians of the Paraguayan students who will stay with them.
- The only additional costs will be for visa, flight/transportation, and spending money (including funds for possible in-country weekend outings).
- Students will register for a full semester of courses at Concordia but will work through approximate schedule suggestions with the Bethany school counselor before leaving.
- Upon their return, students will enroll in a full second semester of classes, and grades earned will be posted back to duplicate first semester class grades, so credits end up being granted for the year (example: student earns B+ in Biology second semester, so then first semester grade for Biology is also posted B+). For questions about grades and courses, please contact Krysten Parson [email protected]
- Bethany selects students for the exchange based on academics, creativity, and character.
Application procedure
We invite current ninth grade students to apply for the exchange program by submitting a short letter of application (250-500 words) outlining why they believe they would be strong candidates for the exchange program and describing the goals they would hope to meet during the exchange year. The letter should be submitted to Edgar Silva, Bethany’s Spanish teacher by Monday, Feb. 8th. A selection committee will start reviewing letters of application soon after. The student(s) selected for the program will be named by March 1st.