After a three-year hiatus due to COVID, The Partners in Friendship Exchange Program is resuming, and four Aiken High School students will travel to Orvieto, Italy, in July. This program is available to any Aiken County high school student. In 2024, Italian students will visit Aiken during the summer of 2024.
The trip has been led by Francesca Pataro, head of Aiken High’s English department, for 17 years. This year will be her last year in charge, and going forward trips will be led by her AHS colleague, Madison Terry.
“The trip means a tremendous amount to me,” said Pataro. “Not only do students learn to appreciate another culture, but they also learn to appreciate American culture as well.”
The partnership between Orvieto and Aiken gives students the chance to spend two weeks abroad, where they can observe a different culture up close.
“It is a life-changing experience for students and for me,” said Pataro, who has had the opportunity to work with over 150 students and families from both cities.