Jackson-Reed High School’s Italian exchange program will conclude this year, ending a longstanding tradition that connected DC students with peers from Italy. 

The program paired American host families with Italian students traveling to DC to practice their English and learn about a new culture. For years, it was one of JR’s few international programs, but between policy changes, fewer kids enrolling, and a key teacher retiring, this will be the final visit.

“I’m sad that it’s ending, but it’s time for a new chapter,” said Social Studies teacher Robert Geremia, the program’s current teacher sponsor.

The Italian students’ lead teacher retired last year, and though a dedicated group still wanted to make the trip, liability requirements prevented her from chaperoning, leaving the program to carry on for one final year without her.

Additionally, Hardy Middle School’s Italian language program has been shrinking for years, and as of this year, Hardy no longer feeds into JR, cutting off a large portion of students arriving with a foundation in the language.

DCPS has also reshaped what international exchange can look like going forward. Students can’t stay directly with families anymore, and future programs will require an outside agency to match students with families, a shift that leads to roughly tripled costs, pushing a trip of $2,000 to around $6,000.

Recruiting host families proved challenging even this year. Geremia began outreach in May of last year, securing a sufficient number of families only weeks before the students’ arrival. Geremia additionally arranged for last-minute backup hosts along the way. “There’s more reluctance and less willingness to host when the exchange isn’t reciprocated,” Geremia said, pointing to DCPS policy, not the school itself, as the driver.

For the families who did sign up, the week quickly became something more than a hosting obligation. First-time host, sophomore Jojo Gavin, described the experience as an immediate highlight. 

“My student is from a very small seaside town and is so sweet,” Gavin said. “We’ve gone out to dinner, walked around Georgetown, and gone bowling. Other than being able to show them around our city, we’ve become very close and created new friendships.”

Sophomore Luke Suardi, whose family has hosted students every year, including two this year, knows that feeling well. “It is one of the best ways to make international friends, learn new cultures, and gain new skills,” Suardi said. 

For the Suardis, those friendships have outlasted the week itself; they’ve kept in touch with every student they’ve hosted, and last year traveled to Italy to visit one near the town where the program’s school is located.

As the program closes, what it gave to all participating students is probably its biggest legacy. Most host families had no Italian background, making the  exchange, for many, a first window into another culture. For a school that prides itself on diversity and global awareness, that window is now closing.