STUDENT EXCHANGE APPLICATION
Applications are now open for students interested in visiting Limerick from November 21-28, 2026. All selected students must be available for the full duration of the program. The cost for the program is $2000 for students who have not previously traveled on a Santa Clara Sister Cities exchange trip, and $2500 for students who have traveled previously. The cost will cover airfare, 5 nights of hotel stays in Limerick, 1 night of hotel stay in Dublin, breakfast, dinner, and sightseeing/events. Students must pay for their own lunches during the trip or for any activities they would like to do outside of the Sister City agenda. SCSCA will provide travel insurance. There is no homestay component for the Limerick trip. Applications are due Sunday, September 13, 2026, at 11:59pm PST.
Application Requirements
Applicants for the SCSCA student exchange program must meet the following eligibility criteria:
Applicant must be a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior in the Santa Clara Unified School District or a high school resident of the City of Santa Clara.
Applicant must demonstrate commitment to the SCSCA organization and participate in monthly SCSCA Youth Commission meetings as well as participate in its fundraising and hosting activities.
Students who go on an exchange program are also committing to the following responsibilities:
Participate in SCSCA fundraiser events
Spend time with the students visiting from our sister cities
Attend orientation meetings to prepare for the trip
Make a trip report presentation to the members of the SCSCA
Make a trip report presentation at a Santa Clara City Council meeting
Continue involvement with SCSCA and help other students going on future exchange trips
Incomplete or late applications can jeopardize your acceptance into the exchange program. Please fill out the online application forms completely. The following documents are required:
A copy of a valid passport, which does not expire for at least 6 months after the visit ends
Responses to essay questions
A parent statement that includes one to three paragraphs on why the applicant would make a good ambassador for the City of Santa Clara, the State of California, and the United States of America
Signed application page
Application finalists will be asked to come in for an interview on the date announced by SCSCA.
Links to the online application forms are below.
Selection Process
SCSCA will select the students based on the following:
Application documents completed in a timely manner (including valid passport) and commitment to and participation in the SCSCA activities. This will be one of the most important selection criteria.
Ability to focus on being a good representative for our city, state and country for the full duration of the trip.
Ability to attend an orientation meeting scheduled after the selection process.
Interviews with the student with option of their parent/guardian(s), which are to be scheduled after the application documents are submitted.
Application forms
There are 3 parts to the application. Please make sure you have gathered all the information before beginning each form.
Applicant information
This form requests the following information:
Student address, phone, email, country of citizenship, school
Parent phone, email
Sibling names and ages
Dates and length of time participating in any extracurricular activities
Dates and length of time participating in any community service, job, church, hobbies, etc.
Foreign languages studied, fluency, and number of years studied
Countries to which you have traveled or lived, including length and purpose of visits
Siblings who have participated in an SCSCA exchange program, including country and year
Any international exchange students your family has hosted
Any dietary or food preferences you might have
Assessment of health and any allergies or medical conditions
Any medications, frequency, and reason for taking
essays, parent statementS, Signatures
This form requires uploads of the following documents. You must be signed in to a Google account to use this form.
Parent statement. This should include one to three paragraphs on why the applicant would make a good ambassador for the City of Santa Clara, the State of California, and the United States of America.
passport upload
You must submit a photo of the first pages of your passport which include the signature page and the photo. The passport must expire at least 6 months after the dates of travel. You must be signed in to a Google account to use this form.