Lisa Scott
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 24/05) - International exchanges are growing in popularity in Yellowknife.

Sir John Franklin high school is sending five students to countries around the world through AFS international exchanges this summer, the most that Bill Braden can remember in its 23-year history.

Braden, president of AFS in Yellowknife, a non-profit program named for the American Field Service, a group of First World War ambulance volunteers, says an increase in promotion is likely the cause.

Combine that with the eight international students who walked the school's halls this year and outgoing students were convinced.

"Our best sales tool are the students," says Braden.

"That helped to make students' minds up. They saw what a good time they were having," he says.

Students Lindsey Rentmeister, Sara Wong, Aaron Morrison, Joseph Bannon and Rebecca Dupuis leave this summer for their year-long exchanges. Their destinations range from Argentina to Germany to Switzerland.

Being in class with, talking with and generally getting to know the foreign students at the school this year was a big influence on many of them.

"Everyone kind of takes them in," said Sara, 18.

Rentmeister is going to Austria and hopes to learn German, her dad's native tongue. Her family also hosted a student from Argentina this year, so she knows what to expect. Wong's brother went on an exchange to Germany with the same program.

Deciding to leave home for the year is the easy part of the exchange process. Students have to raise up to $10,000 to cover travel, insurance and other costs.

The high school is getting another crop of six students starting school in September. Yellowknife is a prime destination point, says Braden.

AFS has hosted about 160 students in the city, while sending out about 65 in its history.