School Year Abroad
Encyclopedia
School Year Abroad is an academic program which places American high school
juniors, seniors, and post-graduates in 5 countries including China
, Italy
, France
, Spain
or Vietnam
for a year. Students intensively learn the respective language of their country and live with a host family. The program includes extensive cultural learning but cannot be considered full immersion as students take requisite subjects for American high school graduation (Mathematics and English) in English. The program provides academic advisors, college counseling services, and administers the AP, SAT, SAT II, and PSAT tests at each school.
The charter schools for the program are Phillips Academy
(Andover, MA), Phillips Exeter Academy
(Exeter, NH), and St. Paul's School
(Concord, NH), although it operates independently of these and its 45 member schools. Its main office is located in Lawrence, Massachusetts
.
is SYA's oldest. The original incarnation was "Schoolboys Abroad" and consisted of twelve students accompanied by three teachers, who, in 1964, traveled by ship to study in Spain.
Though originally based in Barcelona
, the program was moved to Zaragoza
in 1999. The move took place in order to facilitate the ease with which students learned and heard Castellano spoke around them. As the program grew in Barcelona
, it became clear that the proliferation of Catalan, as well as the number of tourists, detracted from the immersion of the students. The move to Zaragoza
, the third largest city in Spain, provided students with a city environment with less tourist attraction, making it necessary for Castellano to be spoken throughout the city.
Spain is the archetype for all of SYA's programs. Students are required to have studied a minimum of two years of high school Spanish, as well as attend an interview and apply for admission. Students are placed in host families throughout the city and study language, Spanish history, Spanish civilization, Spanish literature, Spanish Cinematography, and European Art History in Spanish. They also study English and Mathematics (levels up to AP BC Calculus) under American instructors, generally drawn from the Founders League of New England boarding schools, in English. The school leads various trips to different regions in Spain, including the Basque region, and the Moorish Southern Region, to parallel both the History and the Art History the students have been studying.
, the capital of Brittany
. It is SYA's second oldest program, founded in 1967, just three years after the founding of SYA itself. Students study French language, history, civilization, literature, and art history in French. English and mathematics courses are taught by American instructors in English. Because most of the program's classes are taught in French, students applying to the program must have studied French for a minimum of two years at the time of application.
. It was the first of its kind at either a high school or college level, with students being placed in host families for the full school year. The program operates out of the Second High School Attached to Beijing Normal University. Students attend English, Mathematics, Chinese history, Chinese language, and Chinese culture classes. At two points during the school year, students engage in "immersion" activities, and attend class with their Chinese counterparts, first in December for two days, and then in May for five days. The program also arranges for students to travel outside of Beijing, bringing them to many important cultural sites and locations that are often inaccessible to the average tourist in China, Like the SYA Italy program, students are required to attend the program for the full school year.
in the city of Viterbo
in Lazio. The Italy program is designed primarily for students interested in learning classics
, offering courses in ancient Greek
, Latin
(language and literature), Ancient art history, and Ancient history relating to Italy. Students are also required to take mathematics, English, and Italian language classes. Like the China program, but unlike SYA's France and Spain programs, there is no language requirement to attend SYA Italy.
language, modern Vietnamese history, Spanish and French. Students live with local families and learn not only about Vietnam's rapid economic growth in the major cities, but also about its ethnic diversity and the challenges of poverty in the countryside. The service learning component of the program introduces students to a variety of compelling projects. These may include teaching in orphanages and elementary schools, village water supply or clean-up efforts, micro-finance, or work to mitigate the lingering effects of "agent orange."
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
juniors, seniors, and post-graduates in 5 countries including China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
or Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
for a year. Students intensively learn the respective language of their country and live with a host family. The program includes extensive cultural learning but cannot be considered full immersion as students take requisite subjects for American high school graduation (Mathematics and English) in English. The program provides academic advisors, college counseling services, and administers the AP, SAT, SAT II, and PSAT tests at each school.
The charter schools for the program are Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
(Andover, MA), Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy is a private secondary school located in Exeter, New Hampshire, in the United States.Exeter is noted for its application of Harkness education, a system based on a conference format of teacher and student interaction, similar to the Socratic method of learning through asking...
(Exeter, NH), and St. Paul's School
St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire)
St. Paul's School is a highly selective college-preparatory, coeducational boarding school in Concord, New Hampshire affiliated with the Episcopal Church. The school is one of only six remaining 100% residential boarding schools in the U.S. The New Hampshire campus currently serves 533 students,...
(Concord, NH), although it operates independently of these and its 45 member schools. Its main office is located in Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States on the Merrimack River. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 76,377. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and North Andover to the southeast. It and Salem are...
.
Spain
The program in SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
is SYA's oldest. The original incarnation was "Schoolboys Abroad" and consisted of twelve students accompanied by three teachers, who, in 1964, traveled by ship to study in Spain.
Though originally based in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, the program was moved to Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
in 1999. The move took place in order to facilitate the ease with which students learned and heard Castellano spoke around them. As the program grew in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, it became clear that the proliferation of Catalan, as well as the number of tourists, detracted from the immersion of the students. The move to Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
, the third largest city in Spain, provided students with a city environment with less tourist attraction, making it necessary for Castellano to be spoken throughout the city.
Spain is the archetype for all of SYA's programs. Students are required to have studied a minimum of two years of high school Spanish, as well as attend an interview and apply for admission. Students are placed in host families throughout the city and study language, Spanish history, Spanish civilization, Spanish literature, Spanish Cinematography, and European Art History in Spanish. They also study English and Mathematics (levels up to AP BC Calculus) under American instructors, generally drawn from the Founders League of New England boarding schools, in English. The school leads various trips to different regions in Spain, including the Basque region, and the Moorish Southern Region, to parallel both the History and the Art History the students have been studying.
France
SYA France is located in RennesRennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
, the capital of Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
. It is SYA's second oldest program, founded in 1967, just three years after the founding of SYA itself. Students study French language, history, civilization, literature, and art history in French. English and mathematics courses are taught by American instructors in English. Because most of the program's classes are taught in French, students applying to the program must have studied French for a minimum of two years at the time of application.
China
In 1994, the Chinese government allowed School Year Abroad to begin a program in BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. It was the first of its kind at either a high school or college level, with students being placed in host families for the full school year. The program operates out of the Second High School Attached to Beijing Normal University. Students attend English, Mathematics, Chinese history, Chinese language, and Chinese culture classes. At two points during the school year, students engage in "immersion" activities, and attend class with their Chinese counterparts, first in December for two days, and then in May for five days. The program also arranges for students to travel outside of Beijing, bringing them to many important cultural sites and locations that are often inaccessible to the average tourist in China, Like the SYA Italy program, students are required to attend the program for the full school year.
Italy
Since it opened its doors in 2001, SYA's Italian program has been housed in a sixteenth century palazzoPalazzo
Palazzo, an Italian word meaning a large building , may refer to:-Buildings:*Palazzo, an Italian type of building**Palazzo style architecture, imitative of Italian palazzi...
in the city of Viterbo
Viterbo
See also Viterbo, Texas and Viterbo UniversityViterbo is an ancient city and comune in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It is approximately 80 driving / 80 walking kilometers north of GRA on the Via Cassia, and it is surrounded by the Monti Cimini and...
in Lazio. The Italy program is designed primarily for students interested in learning classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
, offering courses in ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
(language and literature), Ancient art history, and Ancient history relating to Italy. Students are also required to take mathematics, English, and Italian language classes. Like the China program, but unlike SYA's France and Spain programs, there is no language requirement to attend SYA Italy.
Vietnam
A two-semester program based in Hanoi with a focus on service learning, economics and environmental science, opened in Fall 2009. The academic program features a sustainable development and service learning curriculum, offering full high school graduation credit. Courses offered include AP Economics and AP Environmental Science, math at the appropriate level, English, VietnameseVietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
language, modern Vietnamese history, Spanish and French. Students live with local families and learn not only about Vietnam's rapid economic growth in the major cities, but also about its ethnic diversity and the challenges of poverty in the countryside. The service learning component of the program introduces students to a variety of compelling projects. These may include teaching in orphanages and elementary schools, village water supply or clean-up efforts, micro-finance, or work to mitigate the lingering effects of "agent orange."