This year the Vancouver District Student Council (VDSC) organized and held their annual Sister School Switch. Tiffany Tang, VDSC co-president shares with us about the experience.

Last month, the 18th iteration of the Sister School Switch (SSS) took place from April 16-17, with the theme of “building new connections through student resiliency”. 

The goal of the Sister School Switch is to immerse students in different school cultures in order to gain a better understanding of experiences unlike their own. This year, 67 students across 11 secondary schools participated in the switch, with a forum taking place on the April 18th, to close out the event and discuss the insights and experiences peers had shared. In the 2023-24 school year, students in grades 10-12 were eligible to apply! 

Students were randomly paired with their sister partner by grade and demographics. Pairings got the opportunity to experience different school programs. For example, students experienced courses that may not be offered at their school.  

At the concluding forum, participants provided feedback and suggestions on their SSS experiences. Upon considering potential improvements, students expressed the desire for longer periods between meeting their partners at the beginning of the switch and the switch itself, so students can become acquainted with their partners, better understand their sister school’s culture, and fully immerse in the SSS experience. The VDSC senior executive team documented the feedback in preparation for future projects.  

Students commonly found the initiative to be a great opportunity to develop inter-school connections, communication skills, and adaptation to new environments. “My experience as an SSS participant opened up new opportunities and brought me out of my comfort zone. I made many new friends and experienced another school’s culture,” says Danielle Domingo, Grade 11, from Vancouver Technical Secondary School.