The International School-to-School Experience (ISSE) is a unique international program aimed at primary school children aged between ten and twelve years of age. The program gives children the opportunity to engage in and understand other cultures on a first hand basis. Schools from around the world form partnerships, which allow the students and chaperones to experience the world we live in from a different perspective. The exchange provides students with an insight into the daily lives of children from another country. During this time, students live with a host family, attend school and experience the day-to-day lives of their host family. The International School-to-School experience is an innovative and global approach for schools to recognize the importance of an international experience in modern student education.
In 2001, Mount View Primary received a request from a principal in South Korea. She holidayed in Melbourne and visited schools throughout her holiday. She decided it would be nice for a group of students from her school to visit Melbourne and so she contacted principals from her visit to set up the exchange. Mr. Patrick Waring our principal at the time thought this was a wonderful idea and was happy to host their delegation later that year. The visit was a great success and return delegation from MVPS to Incheon South Korea was organized for the following year.
As this was our first exchange, we contacted Greg Orchard from Rowville Primary School who was involved in the CISS program and later introduced the ISSE program in Australia. He guided us through the travel process ensuring all the necessary requirements were met. As a result of our successful exchange with South Korea, we were encouraged to join the ISSE program. Upon completing the required application, Mount View Primary School officially joined ISSE in 2003.