Exchange Program

At Mahatma Gandhi International School (MGIS), we have faith in the power of changing the exchange across cultures. Our International Exchange Program bridges the gap like a dynamic one that binds students, teachers, and communities across the globe. In 2000, MGIS (Ashta) organized the first annual exchange program with schools around the world (they exchanged students and teachers every year), the students and faculty experienced new cultures, valued their differences, and became engaged in projects of educational and community service.

Exchange with United Kingdom

Through the UK-India Education Research Initiatives Grant, MGIS (Ashta) has forged an effective liaison in educational activities with Dudley College, UK. They will target some of the fundamental spheres such as film making, pedagogy, and technology in this exchange. Both teaching institutions are engaged in undertaking projects in areas of film making, educational strategies and the usage of technology in the classroom. It is also partnered towards the training of teachers not only affecting the MGIS employees in a stringent way but also training the teachers who work in schools in Gujarat. This is an exchange during which Meenakshi Ganeriwala leads which is an excellent experience of cross-cultural learning and professional growth.

Exchange with France

Since 2000, MGIS (Ashta) has enjoyed a rich cultural/educational exchange with L'Ecole Aujourd'hui in Paris, and since 2008 Academie St Germain-en-Laye, American Section in Paris. Students and teachers of these schools are taken to MGIS each year to collaborate and complete joint service forms in Ahmedabad to attend to needy communities. The exchange program has its orientation on the grasping of Indian culture, education, and community services. The climax of the exchange is a lively cultural event, in which students will sing Bollywood and French music, they will manage a school cafe, and share their knowledge about India. It is a dialogue between Minoo Joshi and Ravinder Kaur and it further enhances the relationships between India and France.

Exchange with South Korea

A Grade 10 student Yehee Lee began a cultural exhibition in 2017 titled the Meeting Korea in India aimed at creating awareness of Korea and its cultural ties to India. With the support of the Embassy of Korea in India, this was preceded with a cultural exchange of the Korean students visiting MGIS where they performed to the school community. This has seen the start of the exchange program with South Korea of MGIS and the successful reception of the program has seen future plans to have further exchanges and collaborative projects to be carried out.

Exchange with Australia

The intercultural as well as educational exchange program of MGIS (Ashta) with the Mercedes College, Adelaide in Australia has been planned to enrich the knowledge of the students with perceptions about other cultures. The exchange provides a stronger bond between students of both countries through multidisciplinary projects and outreach activities within the community and around the world. The program assists to reduce the cultural gap and expands the boundaries of the education of the students. At the beginning of 2017 Ms. Karena Menzie and Ms. Miriam Ham of Central Queensland University visited MGIS and possibilities of future collaborations into teacher education and educational research were discussed. Anju Musafir is the leader of this exchange.

Exchange with America

The cooperation between MGIS (Ashta) and American students taking part in the 360+ Program is a pleasant experience providing a person with the chance to touch on the historical and cultural background of relations between India and the USA. Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Two historical figures find the legacies blended by the American students (jointly with MGIS students) in comic books created based on the stories of these two characters using mixed media. The set change is completed by an exhibition of the end project. Meenakshi Ganeriwala is an author who heads this exchange. Discussions are also being held between MGIS and Synapse School, California to lead to another teacher exchange program with California which will pave the way to further educational collaborations.

Exchange with Ladakh

Through a partnership with a residential school (Mahabodhi Residential School, MRS) in Leh, Ladakh, MGIS (Ashta) launched the student exchange program as part of the IBDP CAS component. This exchange was a special moment because it enabled the students of both schools to meet due to common passions in arts, environmental studies and the use of Technology. Students of MGIS (Ashta) organized crowdfunding to travel to Ladakh and the project was closed with the launch of an online service to share scientific data and collaborate on research. Students of MRS also paid a visit at MGIS presenting Ladakhi culture by way of performance. Lissa Chazot and Joona Sheel organized this exchange and it was the first IBDP CAS exchange with student leaders, Raivat Shah, and Sahil Singh Sen.

Construction of Global Citizens

The International Exchange Program that occurs in MGIS is still worth more learning experience in students among the faculty and the communities. Every encounter helps to learn more about other cultures in the world, develop academic knowledge with the help of practical experiences, and establish lifelong friendships between borders. As part of the mission of MGIS (Ashta), the creation of global citizens who are not simply academically successful but also have cultural awareness, are socially responsible, and empathetic, the mentioned exchanges are essential.