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Bem-vindo! Welcome.

This term we welcomed four Brazilian international students to Mount Hutt
College - Diego, Matheus, Livia and Flavio. These students were part of the "Prontos Pro Mundo"
(Ready for the World) which is a scholarship programme from the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The
programme sends 1000 students to study abroad, specifically high school students to New
Zealand. Brazil is now the 6th largest source of international high school students for New
Zealand, moving up from 11th place in 2023.

This programme will continue into 2026, with approximately 200 scholarship winners expected to
spend one or two terms in New Zealand schools next year, including at Mount Hutt College.
New Zealand is one of five countries that has been selected to host high school student scholarship
winners from the states of Paraná and São Paulo. Other destinations include Canada, the United
Kingdom, and Australia. The programme highlights the success of increased educational
cooperation between Brazil and New Zealand, and the rising popularity of a New Zealand
education experience amongst Brazilian high school students. Matheus said, “This is the best
thing that could have happened in my life, I am so grateful for the opportunity, this will be a
highlight of my whole life.”

Hosting international students at MHC offers a diverse range of benefits, including fostering a
richer, more multicultural learning environment for all of our students. The presence of
international students broadens the perspectives of Kiwi students by exposing them to different
languages, traditions, and global viewpoints, which helps develop global citizens in an increasingly
interconnected world. Post-Covid, it took time to reestablish our international programme,
however we are now attracting high-calibre students and creating long-term relationships for
future educational collaboration. The main countries our students are coming from at present are
Japan, Thailand, China, Korea, and now Brazil.

Livia said her highlight was to have the privilege of meeting people from all over the world and to
learn about New Zealand and Māori culture. Likewise, Diego agreed, “Getting to know a country
completely different from Brazil is something I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.” All students
were incredibly thankful for the all expenses paid opportunity offered to them by the Brazilian
government. Our Mount Hutt College students will head home to Brazil in mid-December, with
more arriving in Term One 2026. If you are interested in hosting a student with your family, please
contact MHC.