International Programs

ItalyChinaSpain

International Programs

Lake Shore is a part of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and connected to the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) to accept students from around the world. Only an approximate 50 public schools/districts in the state have this certification. Lake Shore is proud of our exchange program and believes that the cultural experience is beneficial for Lake Shore students, our visitors, and the surrounding community.

Mission

Lake Shore is fostering relationships with countries like China, Germany, Italy and Spain to enrich the current foreign language curriculum. Lake Shore students and faculty understand that the exchange program in their school is unique in its size and scope. By attracting students from across the world to Lake Shore Public Schools, our students have the cultural experiences to compete in today’s global society. 

The International School and Dormitory in the Taylor Building opens the door to run a year-round exchange program with multiple countries. Having a strong, sustained program will give students and teachers a better opportunity to learn the language and customs by fostering lifelong friendships. 
     
It is an ultimate goal of Lake Shore to have this program benefit our students and local community through providing a place of education and cultural experience for all.

Taylor International School and Dormitory

The Taylor facility is owned and operated by Lake Shore Public Schools. It has been an educational facility for over 50 years. The International School and Dormitories at Taylor can accommodate 120 students and staff. The 19,880 square foot building offers a comfortable setting for students who attend Lake Shore Public Schools as part of a foreign exchange program.

Lake Shore started fostering a relationship with a school in Beijing, China in 2005. The program started out with having middle school students make two week exchange trips. Within five years, Chinese high school students started attending Lake Shore classes for extended periods. A twenty year agreement was signed in 2011 to continue and grow the program.
     
With this 
long term commitment and interest from schools in other countries, Lake Shore leaders came up with the unique concept of housing students within the district. The Taylor building underwent upgrades in 2011 to create a secure dormitory for students and teachers. Male and female students enjoy separate living quarters, bathrooms, and laundry facilities.
     
The dormitory at Taylor is a place of rest, recreation, and advanced studies for teachers and students. Taylor is an educational center with technologically advanced classrooms, secure and monitored Wi-Fi 
network, and a gymnasium.
     
The facility offers a safe housing experience for foreign exchange students while providing the cultural experience of being in the center of a quiet, residential setting. Taylor is located within walking distance of shopping, dining, and entertainment.

Mentor/Host Families

We live in a global society where learning about customs and cultural as well as building international peer connections is important. A mentor program has been created for families to desire to interact with our international students outside of the school day.

Chinese Connection

Kennedy Middle and Lake Shore High School students can enjoy an adventure of a lifetime to the other side of the world. The two week exchange with China has been occurring since 2008. Lake Shore students visit our sister school in Beijing, tour the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven and visit Shanghai along with other great things. It is a trip of a lifetime for our students and staff. They get to experience the Chinese culture, learn about the country’s history, and try different foods. They also get a chance to see Lake Shore’s sister school and how their peers learn and live.

Lake Shore has a strong relationship with our sister school in Beijing. They send students to the high school for their junior year. The Chinese students have an opportunity to learn the Lake Shore curriculum and if they pass all of the required courses, they graduate with both their Chinese diploma and Lake Shore diploma. 

German Connection

The school system in Germany is a little different than here in Michigan. All children enter in the same program, but at the age of 10, they go to one of four types of schools. The track that they enter determines which type of school they can next enter, and finally, weather they will go to a university or enter a technical field or trade.

Our sister school is a gymnasium, an academically-oriented high school, offering a curriculum of general education which is not career-specific. Students graduate with the certificate of Allgemeine Hochschulreife or Abitur, a prerequisite for admission to a German university where students have an unrestricted choice of majors. University is also free to students.

Sibylla-Merian-Gymnasium is located just outside of Wolfsburg, the home of Volkswagen.

Spanish Connection

Lake Shore High School has a sister-school in Grenada, Spain. Spanish is just one of the languages that students can learn at Lake Shore starting in kindergarten. The opportunity to visit Spain and connect with peers is priceless. Students learn so much more than just another language. They are learning about another culture. For the two-week exchange, LSHS students will be staying with host families.The chance to visit a school in Spain and immerse themselves in the Spanish language, foods, traditions, and lifestyles will make these students better humans - not just better students.  

International Programs

 Karen Jones Twitter
 International Programs   Coordinator
 (586) 285-8484
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