Students today are becoming increasingly more interested in the “next best thing,” which usually involves a more global perspective. America in itself has so much to offer, but when kids have lived here for sixteen, seventeen, or eighteen years, the desire to experience unfamiliar cultures becomes much stronger.

As it turns out, North Penn students were not so different thirty-two years ago either. 1984 was a good year for the International Friendship Club, known between its members as ‘IFC.’ At the time, this high school played host to students from seven different countries, including Ghana and Belgium among others. Though this year there are visiting students from only four countries (France, Germany, Spain, and Japan), their experience with the IFC remains pretty much the same.

But for those unfamiliar with the group, the International Friendship Club is comprised of students who seek to develop their understanding of people from all over the world, resulting in profound respect of and innate interest for various cultures, people, and ideas. The exchange students, both past and current, are encouraged to share their experiences with the school community. The forum-like setup allows local peers to interact freely with their international ones with the intention to form, well, international friendships.

Ke’Nia Washington, a current North Penn senior, participated in the exchange program as a junior. Her year in Madrid, Spain inspired her to join the IFC upon her return to the United States. She was excited to take advantage of the opportunities IFC granted her and to share her adventures with students genuinely interested in learning.

“I think the importance of having the International Friendship Club is so we can build bridges that bring cultures together, making ever-lasting connections,” Washington expressed. “We are able to learn more about the world outside what we know directly while at the same time teach others about our own culture here.”

And through the IFC, lifelong friendships are certainly made. There is a reason why the International Friendship Club can trace its roots so far back in North Penn’s history, and it’s because the bond between students of any culture is, and forever will be, a timeless connection.