In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the Sister Cities Program to help promote understanding and cooperation between people from different countries. As a result, 1,800 counties, cities, and states have been partnered. St. Charles is no exception, having been paired with Ludwigsburg, Germany in 1993. Since then, the Sister Cities program has helped hundreds of students connect with and form friendships with students from their sister city.

After almost six years, students at St. Charles High once again have the opportunity to participate in the program. As of now, signups for the 2025-2026 German exchange are open! St. Charles High Science Teacher Johnathan Flaxbart and St. Charles West German Teacher Ashley Martin, the chaperones for the trip, are currently looking for students willing to host an exchange student. 

For some, the trip led to romance. 

“A German boy fell in love with an American girl, and then they ultimately got married when the time was right,” Flaxbart said. 

For others? Job opportunities, new perspectives, and lifelong friendships. 

“I had a student that went on the exchange, she stayed with a family where the dad worked for Porsche…Got an internship at Porsche, went and stayed with the family again,” Flaxbart said.

The cost? Not much more than a plane ticket. 

The students from Ludwigsburg will be coming to SCHS in fall of 2025, and SCHS students will be sent to Ludwigsburg the following summer. The trip will last two weeks, during which students will learn about and experience a new culture, all while making new friends.

 For more information, visit this link or contact Mr. Flaxbart via email [email protected].