Upland has enjoyed a successful and robust international program since 1978.
In that year, Dr. John M. Cleveland took his ice hockey team to Turku, Finland, where he met Finnish hockey legend, Jusso Wahlsten. Mr. Wahlsten and Dr. Cleveland shared similar ideologies concerning the lifelong connections to be made for young men and women through international exchange, education and sport. In 1979, Mika Holmberg spent the year as a 9th grader at Upland, and 40-year tradition was born.