The City of Palo Alto encourages everyone to participate in Neighbors Abroad, the organization through which Palo Alto promotes international friendship with its Sister Cities, including Oaxaca, Mexico.
Palo Alto’s 60-year sister city relationship with Oaxaca will open doors for you to explore and immerse in this unique community. As a summer exchange participant, you will spend four weeks in Oaxaca with your host family, then your exchange brother or sister will spend four weeks at your home. You will participate in the daily life of a Mexican family, improve your Spanish, earn community service hours in an area of your choice, possibilities include medicine, environment, and education; visit archeological sites, and learn about ancient civilizations, earn a Sister City Ambassador accommodation from Neighbors Abroad, and make friends for life.
Students typically visit Oaxaca from June 8 through July 6, and return home as host from about July 6 to
August 3. The cost of the Oaxaca trip is roughly $1,000 plus spending money. This includes round trip airfare
and a pro-rated amount toward chaperone’s expenses. Financial support is available.
The following requirements must be met by each Palo Alto student and his/her family:
1. The family of each student must be or become a member of Neighbors Abroad. The membership application may be completed at
www.neighborsabroad.org.
2. The exchange student must: a) Be enrolled in High School; at least 15 years old by June of 2024, b) Must submit a completed student exchange application; c) Attend an informal interview, if required; d) Be screened for selection. e) Be studying Spanish.
3. The family of a student selected for this exchange must: a) Host a Oaxaca exchange student in July. b) Must submit all fees on time as specified by Neighbors Abroad. c) Attend all orientation sessions and informational meetings before the trip. d) Relieve the City of Palo Alto and Neighbors Abroad from all responsibility for their participating student.
4. Only students with a valid passport may travel to Oaxaca. Please be advised that passport processing with the US Passport Office even for expedited applications are taking longer than six months. If you do not have a US passport, please apply as soon as possible.
All questions, concerns, problems regarding participants in the exchange program should be referred to Neighbors Abroad, sarah.burgess@neighborsabroad.org.
