St. Mark's School

Summary

Each semester 45 motivated high school juniors from all over the country come together to live and work on the school’s farm in rural Vermont. Students and faculty build together a semester based on trust and an appreciation of difference, creating an academic and work-based community in which every voice matters. While living with teachers in small houses, students help to make important decisions concerning how we live together. Courses provide a demanding, integrated learning experience that takes advantage of the school's small size and mountain campus. Balancing intellectual inquiry and experiential learning, the curriculum challenges students to think flexibly, speak their minds, and return to their schools equipped for continued academic success. Engagement with the farm and forest sparks an appreciation for their food, their fuel and their labor. Admission is selective. The Mountain School of Milton Academy is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Tuition for the 2016-17 year is $27,700. Financial Aid is available.

Summary

The Maine Coast Semester at Chewonki provides a challenging academic program for a small number of highly motivated and academically capable students in their junior year. As a Chewonki student, you will live on a 400-acre peninsula, exploring rocky intertidal zones, sandy shores, and freshwater streams. You may snowshoe alongside moose tracks, kayak to Hungry Island, hike the Appalachian Trail, or scale Mt. Katahdin. Your eyes will be opened to the ecosystems around you, as you learn to look when you see a bird or flower, tree, or tide pool. You will discover, in the process, that everything is connected, that nothing should be taken for granted. You'll come to know the natural world while linking practical experiences to the intellectual work of your academic pursuits. In this way, Chewonki provides a unified education where ideas are understood in context, and ideas from different classes build on each other.

Summary

Since 1964, School Year Abroad has sent high school juniors and seniors to study abroad in distinctive cities and towns throughout Europe and Asia where their safety and security is a priority. Widely considered the 'gold standard' of high school study abroad programs, SYA's rigorous academic curriculum, paired with complementary educational travel and varied extracurricular activities, ensure students are in an optimal position to return to their home schools or proceed to college. At SYA, you have the advantage of earning high school credit for your year studying abroad while learning from exceptional U.S. independent school and locally-hired faculty. We offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses and standardized testing, college counseling and progress and end-of-year reports for parents and home schools to ensure that you are on track when you return home. Unlike other high school study abroad programs, School Year Abroad independently operates its own schools, so instead of enrolling in a local high school, you'll be learning from hand-selected local and U.S. faculty who serve as advisors to SYA students as they navigate their new environment. In SYA's unique intellectual environment, learning takes place in the classroom and in the larger global community. Each SYA school provides a unique educational environment that brings together the high educational standards of top U.S. prep schools with the excitement of experience-based learning.

Summary

Students who have an interest in Australia have the opportunity to travel to Southport, Queensland, Australia and live either in a dormitory or with a host family. Students who participate in this exchange are expected to ask as hosts for their Australian counterparts. St. Hilda's School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for girls, located in Southport, a central suburb of the Gold Coast, Queensland. The school motto, Non Nobis Solum - Not For Ourselves Alone, is an important principle that guides St. Hilda's programs and expectations for the education of the students. St. Hilda's is a school that values character, leadership, and kindness and seeks to instill in the girls a love of learning. The Year 10 Exchange Program at St. Hilda's is seen as an important addition to the academic program. Participation in exchange broadens the horizons of students, helps the to grow as individuals, develop new global awareness and make new friends. Cost consists of airfare, excursion fees and incidental expenses.

Summary

Students who have an interest in Korean culture and language have the opportunity to travel to KIS, Jeju Island and live on an international boarding school campus. Classes are taught in English, so the language barrier will be minimal, but students will be able to learn Korean outside of class. Students who participate are expected to act as hosts for their Korean counterparts.

Jeju Island is in the Northwest part of the country and is an hour's flight fro Seoul, South Korea. Jeju is a volcanic island known for its natural beauty and KIS students have a Hiking Club that explores the National Trail that follows the coastline around the island. Students interested in geology and marine biology will be particularly interested in this exchange.

KIS is part of a larger project funded by the Korean government to build an international education center 45 minutes from Jeju City. As a result the campus is brand new and students are moving in to new spaces as they are being built. The mission of KIS is to provide a challenging, American, boarding school curriculum within a global context designed to foster lifelong learning and prepare community-minded students for success in university and beyond. The vision of the school is to educate global citizens using a holistic approach and graduates will be responsible leaders, architects of positive change, and advocates of intercultural participation. Costs are airfare and incidental expenses.

Summary

Students who are taking German have the opportunity to travel to Munich, Germany, live with a host family and attend the Wittelsbacher-Gymnasium. Students who participate are expected to act as hosts for their German counterparts. This program offers an excellent opportunity for students to solidify their German language learning, to live with a German family, to experience everyday life in Germany, and to visit some of the sites in Southern Germany.

About 600 students and 50 teachers make the Wittelsbacher-Gymnasium a manageable and almost family-like educational institution. The number of students of students in one classroom usually does not exceed 30. The school provides optimal learning conditions, which means that through the overall concept of the school and the commitment of the students and teachers, the school has always ranked in languages. Many of the students are involved in the arts sector and find opportunities for musical activities in choirs, orchestra or big band. Costs are airfare, excursion fees and incidental expenses.

Summary

Students have the opportunity to travel to Santiago, Chile, live with a host family and attend The Grange School. Students who participate are expected to act as hosts for their Chilean counterparts. This program offers an excellent opportunity for students to solidify their Spanish language learning, to participate with a Chilean family to learn what life is like in Chile, and to visit some of the sites in and around Santiago. An excursion to Puerto Varas, Patagonia, may be offered.

The Grange School is a co-ed, independent day school in Santiago with an enrollment of 1,700 students from Pre-K to 12th grade. The school offers a blend of British and other national and international programs with a focus on the Cambridge General Certificate of Secondary Education curriculum. The Grange School is known for its small classes and friendly atmosphere, with most of the students coming from an international background. Costs are airfare, excursion fees and incidental expenses.

Summary

Students interested in improving their Chinese language skills and learning more about Chinese culture have the opportunity to participate in this travel program. While in China students will have the opportunity to visit with local families and to see some of the major cultural sites in mainland China.  Students will also have the chance to visit the Dandelion School.  The Dandelion School is a middle school devoted to the better education of children from some of Beijing's migrant families.  Located in Beijing's southern suburbs, the school was established in 2005.  Its aim is to provide a healthy and happy environment for its students to live and grow.  At the Dandelion School, the children are provided with housing, food, and the attention and care that they deserve, allowing them to be free from their otherwise daily pressures of survival.  Students will travel with Ms. Rubo Fu. Cost is estimated at $3,500.

Summary

Students who have an interest in Australia have the opportunity to travel to Perth, Western Australia and live either in a dormitory or with a host family. Students who participate in this exchange are expected to act as hosts for their Australian counterparts.

Christ Church Grammar School is an independent Anglican day and boarding school for students in grades Pre-K to 12. At Christ Church, the focus is on motivating every boy to discover and realize the best in themselves and others. In this environment it is character that we see emerge - the heart well educated, the mond engaged and the body strengthened for life ahead. The Christ Church pedagogy - our motivational teaching methodology - is at the heart of our approach to deliver exciting, challenging and engaging academic and co-curricular programs (information taken from School website). Costs are airfare and incidental expenses.

Summary

St. Mark's School and the Waterford Kamhlaba School have a rich history dating back to the 1960's when St. Mark's boys and faculty members regularly spent the summer months helping to build and support the Waterford School. The Waterford School was an Anglican school founded during Apartheid with the mission of creating equal opportunities for all students. In the 1980's the Waterford School became a member of the United World Colleges Network and became the Waterford Kamhlaba School. This year St. Mark's students raised money for the Waterford Kamhlaba School's community service program with a refugee camp.

Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa is a remarkable and pioneering secondary school based in Mbabne, Swaziland. For almost 50 years it has provided exceptional opportunities for academic achievement, personal growth and leadership development for students from across southern Africa and beyond. Founded in 1963 with 16 students, Southern Africa's first multiracial school has successfully demonstrated that students thrive and excel in a non-racial environment, educated side by side in equal terms. The school has since grown to over 600 students and its earliest ideals of courage, leadership, equality, personal responsibility and academic excellence remain at its core. Cost is airfare and incidental expenses.

Summary

Students will travel with Mrs. Vachris to participate in the Outreach 360 program in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic. The students will become teachers as they prepare lesson plans and activities for a week spent teaching English to elementary school children at the Leaning Center. In addition to the volunteer work, the group travel to a market town on the Haitian border that has been declared a World Heritage Sit and learn about commerce and relations between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Students will also study Black in Latin America, a film by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. to better understand the history, race relations and the complexity of the island of Hispaniola; home to both Haiti and the DR.

Participants should consult with the Center for Disease Control and their family physician with regard to the need for vaccines and antimalarial medication. Students may need to go to a travel clinic and costs may be as high as $400. While many health insurance companies do cover the cost of these vaccines, not all do. Although St. Mark's does provide transportation to the travel clinic, all participants in the program, regardless of their financial aid status, are expected to cover the cost. If this required trip to the travel clinic presents a hardship to a family, please contact the Global Citizenship Office.

Summary

Members of the St. Mark's Choir will be treated to a visit to Ireland where they will sing with students in a variety of schools and other venues. They will fly into and out of the Shannon airport and visit Galway, The Cliffs of Moher, Killarney, Bunratty Castle, Cork, Rock of Cashel, and Dublin. A highlight of the trip will of course be a trip to kiss the Blarney Stone! Cost is $2,500-3,000.

Summary

This travel program will explore the following question: How did British colonization and the later influence of the United States affect Jamaica? Students will explore Jamaica, and seek to understand how different food and music cultures were influenced by both Great Britain and the United States. In addition, the group will visit different schools, cultural sites, cities and towns and seek to understand the variety of ways in which Jamaican people live. Kareem Chambers, VI Form and Mr. Gayle will share their Jamaican knowledge with the group. Cost will be $2,500-3,000.

The trip will provide participants with the opportunity to work with world leaders in the conservation of wild cheetahs at the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Otjiwarongo, Namibia.  Students will participate in ongoing wildlife and conservation studies including game circuit counts, field scat and sample analysis and livestock/predator conflict management.  The trip will also provide students with the opportunity to observe the diversity of cultures found in Namibia and to work with a youth development program. Cost is $4,000.
 

Summary

On this 8-day, 7-night natural science expedition to Belize, students will have the opportunity to explore two diverse ecosystems, participate in field research on coral reefs, birds and monkeys, learn about native Mayan cultures, and serve the needs of local communities. Partnering with International Zoological Expeditions (IZE) students will spend 4 nights on the banks of Blue Creek at a private rainforest reserve and wildlife sanctuary. Inhabited by thousands of intriguing organisms, Blue Creek's biodiversity is incomparable and makes for the ideal location to observe and interact with a complex jungle ecosystem full of exotic flora and fauna. Students will then travel to IZE's marine field station and lodge on South Water Caye, a private 12-acre island surrounded by uninhabited mangrove islands, sea-grass flats, and pristine coral reefs. The undisturbed natural conditions, along with the diverse habitats and abundant levels of marine life, make South Water Caye one of the finest outdoor classrooms in the Caribbean.

Cost is $3,000 and the trip is open to all forms.

Summary

The purpose of the tour is to help our students expand their literary study of the classical world by to include the material artifacts of classical culture provided by ancient sites and museums. On the trip students learn how to appreciate and analyze artifacts, architecture, city plans and monuments and in doing so deepen and enrich their understanding of Ancient Greek and Roman history and culture. Students at all levels, from Latin I - Advanced Topics, have a relevant literary background that would support the intended purpose of the trip. Although the study tour is intended for students pursuing the Classical Diploma program and priority will be given to those students in the program who apply for the trip, other students who are interested in Classics may also apply. Financial assistance may be available for students who qualify.
Cost is $3,500

Summary

Students will travel to Paris where they will have the opportunity to engage in an immersion program in the morning and visit culturally significant sites in the afternoons and evenings. Students will have some input into what places they would like to visit, but options will include the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Opera Garnier. Students will stay in a centrally located dorm-style hostel in double, triple or quad rooms with private showers and locking doors. Breakfast will be eaten at the hostel and some dinners may be eaten there as well. Cost is $3,000 and cost of all meals is already included in the price of the trip.

Prior to the trip, students will participate in at least one seminar where they will present information about a place that they would like to visit. The seminar will likely take place on a Sunday evening prior to study hall. During the trip, students will contribute to a blog that will allow them to share their impression of what they are experiencing.

Summary

St. Mark's has partnered with the grassroots NGO Educate Lanka. Educate Lanka provides scholarships to Sri Lankan students who would otherwise not be able to afford to go to school. For the past three years St. Mark's and Educate Lanka have been in partnership with students from Educate Lanka participating in the Global Citizenship Institute and with students from St. Mark's traveling to Sri Lanka. This opportunity is for a highly motivated individual who might want to volunteer at the Educate Lanka offices either in the US or Sri Lanka. Interested students should contact Dr. Appell-Warren to discuss this opportunity.

Summary

The Instituto San Pedro provides a month long opportunity over the summer for St. Mark's students to experience the language and culture of Spain through the full immersion program St. Mark's in Segovia. Living with carefully selected families, attending three classes a day, joining daily cultural activities, and weekend trips is the core of the program. The stay is complemented with trips around Segovia visiting the following locations: Palacios de la Granja, Castillo de Cuellar, Valle de los Caidos; El Escorial; Museo Reina Sofia; Museo del Prado. Students will also go hiking in Las Calderas and take a trip to the Andalucia region in Southern Spain. While in Andalucia they will stay in four star hotels in Sevilla, Granada, Cordoba and Madrid. Cost is $5,000 plus airfare.

Summary

The Global Citizenship Institute is an innovative program between Salzburg Global Seminar in Austria and St. Mark's School in Southborough, MA to educate and support faculty and students from public, private and international secondary schools as they learn ways to become engaged global citizens actively working to solve problems of global and local significance.

Join St. Mark's and Salzburg Global Seminar Faculty for a week of intensive exploration of what it means to be a Global Citizen in a globalized, interconnected 21st Century world. Participants will hear leaders in the field talk about the issues related to Global Citizenship and will participate in numerous small group discussions focusing on the themes of Global Citizenship. These themes include, among others: social justice and human rights; creating an engaged community; intercultural communications and perspective taking; climate change and sustainability. The hallmark of the program is that students and faculty will meet with the faculty and students from their home school to create a project to take home to their community.

Past participants in the program have come from as near by as Framingham, MA and as far away as Australia and China. Cost is $1,000 and includes room, board and off campus excursion.

Summary

Students interested in improving their Chinese language skills and interested in learning more about Chinese culture will have the opportunity to participate in this travel program. While in China students will have the opportunity to visit with local families and to see some of the major cultural sites in mainland China.  Students will also have the opportunity to visit the Dandelion School. The Dandelion School is a middle school devoted to the better education of children from some of Beijing's migrant families. Located in Beijing's southern suburbs, the school was established in 2005. Its aim is to provide a healthy and happy environment for its students to live and grow. At the Dandelion School, the children are provided with housing, food, and the attention and care that they deserve, allowing them to be free from their otherwise daily pressures of survival.  Students will travel with Ms. Rubo Fu. Cost is estimated at $3,500.

Summary

St. Mark's will partner with the Global Public Service Academy for this program. Students will travel to Downeast NC and learn about the challenges faced by this geographically remote area whose culture and livelihood are focused on maritime work. Despite the dedication to the fishing industry by the people in Downeast, as the environment has changed, this livelihood and unique culture has been threatened. Fish catches have declined over the past decade. Some believe that climate change and the impact of hurricanes have affected the fish populations, while others attribute the decline to increased water pollution from residential developments along the coast. As people from elsewhere arrive, buy land, build homes and settle in as year round residents, the cost of living for the native population increases. The once booming economy, suffering from the closures of fisheries, is also heavily impacted by the increase in the price of land, due to the proliferation of retirees choosing to make permanent homesteads. Students participating in this program have the opportunity to work with faculty and students from some of American's best universities, including Duke University on an environmental engineering project designed to address the needs of this community - one possible project that students will be working on is to imagine ways to turn fish waste from aquaculture farms into fertilizer for traditional agriculture.

Summary

Students selected for this program will have the opportunity to perform at The Fringe, the largest arts festival in the world. While on this travel program students will first visit London, taking in some of the shows there, and will spend most of their time in Edinburgh, Scotland. When not preparing for the St. Mark's performances students will be able to visit the sites in Edinburgh and also take in other performances at The Fringe.

Summary

This program is in collaboration with Deerfield School.  Their program website can be found here.  Born in nationalist dreams that sparked the First World War and saw its destruction in the 1990s, Yugoslavia embodied the hopes and horrors of the 20th century. To understand this history and see how its contested memory shapes the former states of Yugoslavia, we will begin in Slovenia, where we will tour and hike the dramatic front lines high in the Julian Apls where soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and nationalist Italy fought in brutal conditions. From there, we will examine Yugoslavia's history in Croatia (Zagreb, the Jasenovac concentration camp, the Dalmatian Coast, including Dubrovnik) and Bosnia (Sarajevo and Srebrenica). In these locations, we will visit museums, tour sites of memory, and meet with experts and witnesses. Along the way, we will enjoy the region's geographical beauty and ancient cities. Students will come to appreciate the forces that molded this complicated past, and how that past shapes the identity and policies of those living in the region. Cost TBD.

Summary

Students participating in this program will travel to Uganda to partner with EmbraceKulture, an organization that is working to ensure all children are embraced and accepted for what makes them unique. The organization focuses on developing awareness and quality education for children with developmental disabilities, including autism, down syndrome and cerebral palsy. EmbraceKulture also focuses on empowering members of the community to become agents of change and to help them develop appropriate solutions. Students will live in dormitory housing while in Uganda and will work for EmbraceKulture, they will also participate in a variety of activities and excursions in the Entebee area. Thomas Scarigella, VI Form, will share his experience with EmbraceKulture with the group. Cost is $4,500 and includes airfare.

Summary

Click here to access the student run Haiti Partnership Committee blog

St. Mark’s School, Southborough and St. Mark’s School, Altadena, California have partnered, through the auspices of the School Partnership in Haiti Program, with St. Marguerite’s School in Latournelle, Haiti. The Haiti Partnership Committee at St. Mark’s School is an active and vibrant organization and is dedicated to developing a partnership between St. Mark's School and St. Marguerite's School in Latournelle, Haiti. Our goal is to foster communication, education and cultural exploration between the two schools. We, at St. Mark’s Southborough, are also committed to supporting capital projects at Ste. Marguerite’s through fundraising, in both the local and broader school communities.

A small group of students will travel to Haiti with Ms. McColloch and other chaperones to see the country and to visit the families of Latournelle and the students of St. Marguerite's School. Students will also have the opportunity to visit sites in and around Port au Prince to get an understanding of Haitian culture and arts. Students in the STEM Fellowship will be able to apply for a spot on the trip to engage in a limited field work experience and get a first hand sense of how their STEM research project might be beneficial for Haitian people.

Participants should note that there are vaccines and malarial medication required for this trip. The cost for the trip to the travel clinic may be as high as $400.00. While many health insurance companies cover the costs of these vaccines, not all do. Although St. Mark's does provide transportation to the travel clinic, all participants in the program, regardless of their financial aid status, are expected to cover the cost. If this required trip to the travel clinic presents a hardship to a family, please contact the Global Citizenship Office. Cost is $2,500 and limited financial aid is available.

Summary

Brantwood Camp, Greenfield, NH. St. Mark’s will soon reach its 100th anniversary of sending students to volunteer as cabin counselors at this summer camp in New Hampshire. Brantwood is specifically designed to serve boys and girls who would not otherwise have the opportunity to afford a camping experience; most are from inner city areas in New England and New Jersey. For sixteen days in the summer (three sessions are available), St. Mark’s students volunteer to live with a small group of campers, helping them develop character, confidence and independence, both physically and emotionally. In this they are trained and supervised by a highly experienced camp staff. It is a challenging job, but it offers unparalleled leadership training and experience to St. Markers who are ready for a life-changing summer. There is no cost to the student, but an application and references are required. Students interested in this program should contact Rev. Talcott.