Fifth Graders Take Part in Decades-Old Partnership

Three Colorado Academy fifth graders are home after taking part in CA’s oldest student exchange program in a more than three-decade partnership with Erskine Stewart’s Melville Junior School in Edinburgh, Scotland. This year’s exchange students included Maddy Olmstead, Tyler Schulte, and Jagger Winkler. Each fall, up to six Colorado Academy students travel to Scotland and participate in a home-stay program for one month.

The following spring, students from those same families become part of our CA community for a month. The two schools, while similar in some ways, have differences that enrich the exchange experience.

Erskine Stewart’s Melville Junior School represents the best of Scottish traditions and is located in a beautiful city filled with historical landmarks. Students visiting Edinburgh attend the school, visit historical sites, and have the experience of living in a family with another fifth grader whose life they share.

The program seeks to increase the students’ knowledge and understanding of other cultures. In its 30-year history, many participants remain life-long friends with their Scottish counterparts. Fifth graders from Edinburgh will travel to CA next spring.