Reaching across continents: The China Exchange Program enters its 11th year

PINE PLAINS — Stissing Mountain High School took on an additional 21 students when the China Exchange Program began on Jan. 16.

The students, along with three adults, are staying with host families in the Pine Plains district for the next few weeks. Chinese students have been shadowing their hosts for the first couple of days while they get used to a different country.

"It’s always been my fantasy to go to China," said Karen Pogoda, the school’s guidance counselor and the exchange coordinator. "A friend called me 11 years ago and asked if I wanted to start an exchange program. There was no model. We were flying by the seat of our pants."

The program has grown since then, and so far more than 175 Chinese students have walked through the hallways at Stissing High.

"The students receive them very well," Pogoda said. "They’re accustomed to it, and it isn’t so strange anymore. By having contact, a lot of stereotypes have been dispelled. As much as we’re different, we’re basically the same."

And while the exchange students are here, there is certainly plenty for them to do.

Trips are planned not only around the Hudson Valley, where they’ll see the different elementary schools and sites like the FDR Library, but also in Boston (Harvard, the Museum of Science and Quincy Market are among the stops) and New York City, where visits to the United Nations, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero and a Broadway show are planned.

"It’s exhausting," Pogoda acknowledged, saying that it was up to them to show their visitors a good time. "You have to ask yourselves, ‘How would you want to be treated if you were in a foreign country?’"

That question will be answered shortly after the exchange students leave on Feb. 4, because soon thereafter the roles are reversed.

During spring break (plus six days), the hosts will become the exchanged as the American students who were hosts here travel to China.

There the American group starts out in Beijing before moving to Xi’an, Yangshou, Nanjing and Shanghai, among other cities. And yes, there will be bicycling along the Great Wall.

"We couldn’t do it without the support of the host families, who have been fabulous, the Board of Education and the community," Pogoda said. "The whole experience is invaluable."

"It’s great," said Alec Sisco, 16. Sisco and his family are hosting Wu Zhongyang for the next few weeks. "I love seeing what he likes about America."

Jeanine Sisco and her husband, Keith, explained that it was their second hosting experience, after their eldest son signed up for the program years ago.

"The program has a wonderful reputation," Jeanine Sisco said. "We knew a little about Chinese politics before we first hosted, but we’ve certainly learned a lot more."

The Siscos said that as a result of hosting, they now pay a lot more attention to what’s going on in the country. They keep in touch with the family that their eldest son stayed with, and they hope to do the same with their other son, Alec.

"We’d like Alec to learn about how other people live, and to get a chance to see a vast diversity of land, people, culture and lifestyles, so that he can have a large perspective on how different people can be," Jeanine Sisco said.

Sixteen-year-old Wu, whose American name is Chris, said he is enjoying the trip very much. Although the United States is very different from China, he has enjoyed the change. Just last weekend the exchange program headed to Boston, and Wu got the opportunity to see Harvard, which he hopes to attend.

"Zhongyang is very competitive with school work, and he feels that it’s basically his life," Alec said of the differences between them. "But we both like video games, soccer and he loves to eat. And no matter how much or little you give him, he loves it and never complains."

And what about a favorite American food?

"Pancakes," Wu said without hesitation.