The world is expanding for Baker High School students thanks to exchange opportunities with Germany, Spain, France, Thailand, Vietnam and possibly Ecuador.

These trips are open to students ages 16 to 18 who are on pace to graduate, said Dr. Thomas Joseph, director of experiential learning for the Baker School District.

Each group will consist of eight to 10 students and typically last a month or less, he said.

“They’re smaller, short-term exchanges,” he said.

Joseph and several district teachers have developed a curriculum to enhance the trips with a focus on navigating airports, visiting museums and finding their way in an unfamiliar place.

“Practical travel and culture-based skills,” Joseph said. “Kids can make this a lifelong learning event.”

Two trips on the horizon are France and Germany. Neither requires students to speak French or German. The estimated cost is $3,000 or less, which includes airfare. Also, students must have a passport that is good for at least six months after they return to the United States.

Prior to leaving, students will work with their teachers on a plan for missing four weeks of school at Baker High.

“The parents, kids and teachers all have to be in agreement before we get on the plane,” Joseph said.

He is in the process of finalizing a dual credit status for the exchanges, which would earn students one college credit.

France

This summer, Baker students can visit Rouen, France, to stay with host families for about four weeks. The group leaves the U.S. in mid-June and returns in mid-July. An added bonus is that any baseball players from BHS will be invited to play with the Rouen Huskies, an elite French high school baseball team.

Anyone interested in the France trip needs to register by the end of February by contacting Joseph at thomas.joseph@bakersd.org or 541-524-2651, ext. 3503.

Germany

In the fall of 2025, BHS will renew its exchange with Phorms Gymnasium in Hamburg, Germany. Students will stay with host families, attend classes at Phorms, and have time to explore the gothic architecture and museums. The group will also spend a day in Berlin, and a day or two in Amsterdam.

The trip will start around Sept. 15 and the students return the first week of October.

To sign up, contact Joseph by spring break at the end of March.

Host families

These exchange programs will also bring a small group of foreign students to Baker City for about 3½ weeks, and host families are needed.

French students will visit Baker City this spring between mid-April and mid-May.

In the fall, German students will visit Baker City from Oct. 5-17.

Interested host families can contact Joseph for more information.

Future trips

Joseph said the fall 2026 exchange will be with Madrid, Spain. Also, 10-day spring break trips will be offered each year to either Vietnam or Thailand.

He continues to explore exchange programs with other countries to widen the world for students from Baker High.

“We’re going to keep adding options,” he said.

Baker High School is offering short-term exchange trips to students who are ages 16-18 and on pace to graduate.

A trip to France is planned this summer, and one to Germany is set for fall.

Interested students must register soon by contacting Dr. Thomas Joseph at thomas.joseph@bakersd.org or 541-524-2651, ext. 3503.