An ongoing exchange program between Sacred Heart sister schools Woodlands Academy in Lake Forest and Gymnasium Sacré Coeur Wien in Vienna, Austria, has generated many invaluable academic and cultural experiences. These include the lasting friendships that students and teachers alike have made. On March 7, Woodlands Academy, an all-girls college-preparatory high school, welcomed 12 Austrian students and their two teacher/chaperones for a two-week visit to its Lake Forest campus. This has been an annual event since 2008, except for a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Austria, a “gymnasium" is a university-preparatory secondary school, generally focusing on liberal arts and humanities. The visiting Sacré Coeur Wien delegation included two boys from the co-ed Viennese school. Despite some differences between schools in the two countries, the Austrian students assimilated quickly into their Woodlands Academy routine. Some of them credit the built-in Sacred Heart connection.

Austrian and Woodlands students agree that this connection means there is comfort and security in knowing that all are members of the same family. The students feel connected and valued, and they describe an automatic bond and a feeling of being “at home” with one another. Caring and being cared for are profound Sacred Heart values.

The Viennese students attended classes with their Woodlands student hosts during their two-week visit. They stayed in the school’s dormitory during the first week of their visit and then in the homes of student hosts during the second week. Their classroom activities at Woodlands Academy included sharing various aspects of Austrian life, such as the country’s history, landmarks, arts and culture, and Gymnasium Sacré Coeur Wien traditions.

In addition, the Viennese delegation experienced a variety of Chicago/Milwaukee area features, such as a walking tour of the Chicago Loop that included stops at The Bean and Maggie Daley Park, subsequent visits to Chicago’s Art Institute and Museum of Contemporary Art, a tour and lunch in Downtown Lake Forest, and dinner and a Bucks basketball game in Milwaukee.

Just before their March 21 departure, Woodlands Academy’s Austrian guests taught the entire student body some basic steps of the Viennese Waltz during an all-school assembly in the gym.

“Woodlands Academy is committed to international Sacred Heart exchange,” said Associate Head of School for Student Life/Director of the Center for Global Studies Christine Schmidt. “The Network of Sacred Heart Schools believes that global education awakens students and the larger community to the responsibility of participating actively in the human family worldwide.”

This year’s exchange began in the fall when 12 Woodlands students traveled to their sister school in Vienna for a fun, educational and culturally enriching 10-day experience. During their time there, they learned how Austrian teenagers live, study and spend their free time. Students who participate create friendships that continue long after returning to their home countries.

The exchange continues next school year when a delegation of Woodlands students will spend two weeks at Gymnasium Sacré Coeur Wien in the fall, followed by a visit from the Austrian school in March 2026.

Sacred Heart schools that span the U.S. and 40 other countries on six continents allow Woodlands Academy to offer its students unique opportunities for a premiere global education experience. In addition to the ongoing reciprocal arrangement with its sister school in Vienna, Woodlands Academy’s exchange program hosts Sacred Heart students from several countries each year while providing opportunities for its students to spend time at Sacred Heart schools abroad.