While St. Louis U. High seniors ventured across the world in January for their Senior Projects, a group of Polish students came to St. Louis to do their own service projects. In this first-of-its-kind exchange, the high school students have been staying with SLUH host families, serving the local community at numerous St. Louis organizations, and acquainting themselves with St. Louis culture and history through excursions with SLUH Global Ed and their host families.

Although SLUH Global Ed, led by Russian teacher Rob Chura, has participated in and conducted numerous exchanges of culture and language with partner schools across the globe, this recent arrival is the first time that students from another country have participated in St. Louis-based service projects through Global Ed. 

As preparations for the arrival of SLUH students in Poland began for their Senior Project, teachers at the Polish schools expressed interest in mirroring the trip by sending their students to complete service in St. Louis.

“There was no reason not to,” said Chura. “Everything was perfect to make it happen, so we decided to try it this year to take a first stab at it.”

“We don’t have many opportunities like this in our school, and there came an opportunity to go to America,” said Polish student Weronika Gizicka.

The Polish students come from two different schools: the first group, which arrived on Jan. 16 and leaves today, come from a SLUH partner school in Gdynia, Poland. The second group arrived in St. Louis on Jan. 27 from Krakow, and will leave on Feb. 11.

“It worked out really well where one group could come for two weeks and do their project, and then the other group could come after those two weeks and do their project,” explained Chura. “Right now, there’s a little bit of overlap.”

Each of the visiting students has been paired with a SLUH student currently taking Russian classes, particularly the younger students taking Russian I and II. While the Polish guests spend most of their time at their service sites, they have grown relationships with their host students and families.

“I think I have a very good host family,” said Gizicka, who is staying with sophomore Isaac Basi. “All of them are so nice. They make the trip here even better.”

“It has been great to get to know (Weronika) well,” said Basi. “We’ve been able to do many fun things together with my family and it’s been a great time.”

The students have also become acquainted with the SLUH community through participation in classes, like Russian, and other on-campus activities. However, the majority of their time is spent at St. Louis-based service organizations similar to those in which seniors have conducted their projects. Most prominent among these is City Garden Montessori School, an early childhood learning center and elementary school in Botanical Heights, where the exchange students have helped mentor and encourage the students every day.

“When I found out the service was working with kids, I really wanted to go because I like working with kids,” said Gizicka.

The Polish students have also been volunteering at Boys Hope Girls Hope, a St. Louis-based non-profit that helps young people internationally achieve academic success. 

“(Boys Hope Girls Hope) provides a safe place for kids our age where they go after school, especially if they’re from a tougher, more complicated situation,” explained Aneta Marcinowicz. “We helped prepare food for the kids, play with them, and spend time with them.”

Finally, Campus Kitchen at St. Louis University has also opened its doors to the assistance of the exchange students. The organization is run by Melissa Apprill, mother of junior Quinn Apprill-Sokol and freshman Simon Apprill-Sokol, and combats food insecurity in St. Louis by providing and delivering meals to those in need.

“Campus Kitchen was really eye-opening in the sense that we, European people, have this image of America being a perfect place with no problems, and just going into places where you can see other people living in a different place than what you’re used to … is hard, and you can see a lot of similarities to places where we live,” said Marcinowicz.

The students have also had the opportunity to delve into the arts, food, and sights that St. Louis has to offer. Chura has led trips to the Missouri History Museum, the St. Louis Zoo, and elsewhere, and they have also ventured through the city with their host families.

“I went to the Fox Theater for (Les Miserables),” said Gizicka. “It was amazing.”

Overall, the exchange has been unforgettable for both the Polish students and their hosts. Chura hopes to continue, and expand upon, the unique type of exchange in future years.

“This is a totally new undertaking … for the most part, I think it’s all been extremely positive. We achieve (impressive outcomes) each year when our own students return from Senior Project, and I heard the exact same sentiments (from the Polish students) and the exact same impact that this experience had on them,” said Chura. “When we participate in these similar experiences, it’s really amazing the results that we get. My impressions have only been exciting, and making me want to find ways for us to do this even on a larger scale in the future.”