Twenty students from Horsholm Lille Skole near Copenhagen will arrive in Macomb later this month for the annual Macomb Denmark Exchange Program between Macomb High School and Horsholm Lille Skole.
The program has been sending students between Macomb and Denmark for 25 years. Along with the 20 students arriving Sept. 30, two teachers from the Danish school will also take part in this year's U.S. exchange, which pairs the students and educators with local families. Typically, 15-20 host families are needed each year to host the contingent from Denmark. Earl and Pamela Godt, along with Earl's cousin Bjorn Godt-Hanson, the former assistant headmaster at the school, created the program.
According to MHS parent coordinator Alison Vawter, the students from Denmark will be in Macomb Sept. 30-Oct. 8. During their time in Macomb, the students will take part in classes and events at Macomb High School and in the community and region, including field trips to Hannibal, and the Lincoln Museum in Springfield. Students also spend time in the community learning about Macomb by walking the Square, visiting the police department, City Hall, and the Courthouse. The Macomb visit is part of a graduation requirement for Lille Skole students.
Macomb students who are part of the program will travel to Denmark during spring break in Spring 2026. While overseas, the Macomb group learns about Denmark's history by touring Copenhagen and its unique neighborhoods, and typically visiting Hans Christian Andersen's 'Little Mermaid,' going on a boat tour, a trip to Hamlet's Castle and taking a day trip to Sweden, which is just a short ferry ride away. MHS students also will spend a day with their Danish host students in the classroom.
'You don't have to have a high school student at home to be a host family,' Vawter explained. 'But if you do, your student will have the opportunity to travel to Denmark for a week to stay with a host family in the spring, for the cost of an airline ticket; however, it is not mandatory that they go overseas if you do serve as a host parent in the fall.'
A hosting fee of $300 is the responsibility of the host family, which helps pays for activities and transportation of the Danish students in the U.S., plus bus transportation to and from O’Hare for the MHS students' trip to Denmark in the spring. To sign up as a host family for the 2026-2027 school year, or for more information, contact Vawter at (309) 313-5312 or MacombtoDenmark2025@ yahoo.com. Messages can also be sent to the program's Facebook page.
In addition, volunteer parents are needed to help chaperone the daily activities of the group during their stay in Macomb. Individuals interested in serving as chaperones should contact Vawter by Sept. 25.
