25 June 2014 at 9:00 am
Flying Kiwis in Chile
The Flying Kiwi experience is coming to an end for the seven high school students studying Spanish chosen to spend three weeks in Chile representing their schools.
The students have been living with host families and attending school in Santiago, giving them a great opportunity to immerse themselves in the Chilean culture as well as practice their language skills.
Last Friday the Flying Kiwis visited Escuela Nueva Zelandia, a school named after New Zealand and located in Independicia commune, an underprivileged area in Santiago. They talked to the students about New Zealand, and in return the Chileans taught the group the traditional Chilean dance cueca.
The Flying Kiwis have also visited La Moneda, the presidential palace in Santiago where they had a short meeting with the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Edgardo Riveros, who was very pleased to meet them.
The Flying Kiwis programme was developed in response to the successful Chilean government-sponsored Penguins without Borders programme, which sees Chilean students coming to New Zealand to study.
The objectives of the scholarship scheme are to broaden New Zealand students’ cultural awareness, encourage New Zealand schools to build relationships with Chilean schools and to promote our school education to the Chilean market.
New Zealand is the first country to develop such an exchange with Chile, creating bonds between our two countries and lifelong connections for all the students taking part.
The Flying Kiwis farewelled Santiago on 24 June and are winging their way back to their families and friends in New Zealand.
