Global Connections

List of 4 items.

• Where We've Been

  In recent years, Augusta Prep faculty and students have traveled to:
  
  

  • MarineLab, Summer 2023:  In early summer, 18 middle school students and three faculty leaders headed to MarineLab on Key Largo to gear up in masks, fins and snorkels and take to the ocean, learning about seagrass, mangrove, and coral reef ecosystems and the plants and animals that thrive there! Daily lessons took place in the water and in the lab, observing, taking samples, and analyzing their findings! A very special lesson included a video session with Dr. Joseph Dituri, who recently completed a 100 day underwater stay in a hyperbaric chamber, and his research could impact everything from space travel to treatments for traumatic brian injuries. Ending the week with a night time snorkel, the kids returned him happy and more knowledgeable about marine life!
  • Spain, Spring 2023: Thirteen Middle and Upper School students and faculty visited Spain over our spring break in April. They journeyed to the beautiful country of Spain, specifically the vibrant cities of Madrid and Barcelona. They saw so many amazing and important sites including The Prado museum and the Sagrada Familia. Of course, they also had some fun excursions including going to the seaside, attending a Real Madrid soccer game, and watching a bullfight! Many of the students are studying Spanish as their language and also took this as an opportunity to improve their listening and speaking skills.
  • Europe Leadership Summit, Summer 2023: In July, 13 students and two faculty members traveled to Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin to explore European history and culture, ending with a three-day global leadership summit in Berlin where they focused on topics revolving around sustainability. In Berlin, students attended workshops led by innovators from around the world as well as representatives from the U.N., where they collaborated with other students from all over the world to brainstorm real-world solutions with a focus on sustainability.

• Individual and Group Exchanges

  Augusta Prep is fortunate to have several wonderful global exchange partner schools. Currently we are in partnership with St. Denis International School in Loches France, St. Margaret's Anglican School in Brisbane Australia, and starting in 2023-24  The Tietgenskolen in Odense, Denmark.  These partner exchanges can last anywhere from two or three weeks up to ten weeks. Additionally, we assist in helping to set up longer-term study abroads, generally encompassing most or all of a school semester. 
  
  Our first student to venture away was Nacha Ramanathan.  Nacha spent a term in fall 2022 in Adelaide Australia at a school where she and her family share ties,  St. Johns Grammar School, in Adelaide Australia.  Prep was able to help the Ramanathan's arrange an extended study abroad for Nacha at St. John's. Nacha said of her experience: "...One of the many things I learned from Australian culture was that relaxing and taking time for yourself is just as important as working hard...Studying abroad in Australia was a great opportunity to meet new people, many of whom have become life- long friends." 

   

  Our partnership with St. Margaret's in Brisbane Australia was a very special one for six young ladies.  In October we welcomed Lexi, Pixie, and Gardi to America and to Augusta Prep.  They had amazing experiences staying with three of our families, the Loos, the Geoffroys, and the Macdonalds. Friendships were made and our three visitors got a great taste of life in America!  In the winter, our girls, Ashley Loo, Sam Geoffroy, and Charlotte Macdonald, traveled TO Brisbane and joined the student body at St. Margaret's for a term.  They had a blast and learned so much about themselves, about others, and of course, about their "home" in Australia. Charlotte said she is already planning her return to Australia!

   

  Our partnership with St. Denis also made for some very special experiences.  In Late January 2023, three Prep families played host to three lovely French students.  The Greer family welcomed Hortense, the Monnig family welcomed Augustin, and the Clapp family welcomed Izel. We are so glad that they were "ours" for a few weeks. In exchange, three of our kids, Abby Watson, Grace Greer, and Masa Iwanski, went to Loches and attended st. Denis, honing their French skills and immersing themselves in French life. They stayed with lovely families and saw amazing things during their time in France. Masa said "...although I am not very fluent in French, I have definitely gotten better at understanding, which I struggled with."  and Grace said "...I have definitely grown in my comprehension and I can understand a lot and can communicate... I am so grateful to Mr. Devos (Prep French teacher) he is phenomenal and has prepared me." 

   

  We are so proud of the students who participated in these programs, expanding their horizons, meeting new people, trying new things, and deepening their knowledge of new subjects.  For some, this included honing their language skills, for others it was about setting out on a great adventure and absorbing so many new experiences, and for some it was simply the brave act of getting out of their comfort zone and leaving home for an extended period of time. 

   

  We are also  thankful for the Prep families who hosted exchange students.  It is an incredibly generous thing to open your home and hearts to students from afar. Thank you families for being an important part of our Global Program!!

• Current Opportunities

  Augusta Prep offers a variety of experiences for student travelers each year, including for 2023-24:
  
  

  1. Ecuador and Galapagos Islands: Spring Break, 2024. Open to 8th-12th Grade students.
  2. Italy: Summer 2024. Open to 8th-12th Grade students.
  3. England, Summer 2024: Open to 6th-12th Grade students.
  4. Ongoing Exchange Opportunities with our Partner Schools and with the Network of Complementary Schools. 

  For more information on any of these opportunities, please contact Global Programs Director Tara Chokshi.

• Network of Complementary Schools

  The Augusta Prep Global Connections Program has partnered with a very unique organization, the Network of Complementary Schools. The Network is a group of schools who share a common goal, which is to offer unique, eye-opening domestic exchanges with other NCS member schools.  These exchanges are shorter term (generally 10-14 days), reciprocal, and can serve students and faculty alike.  

   

  This past year (2022-23), two NCS students came on exchanges to our campus, and one of our own, Hannah Kelly,  visited an NCS school in the northeast!  In January '23, the Kelly family hosted a lovely young lady, Jojo, from the Bush School in Seattle.  Over Jojo's ten day stay, she and Hannah became fast friends, she immersed herself in many aspects of our school, and even got a day to explore all over Augusta and learn a bit of our history. Shortly after Jojo returned home, Hannah's reciprocal exchange began in early February as she traveled TO the Bush School.  Hannah also found a welcoming community at Jojo's school, and even got to go skiing with her new friends!

   

  In April '23, Prep welcomed another wonderful young lady, Aisha, who joined us from The Academy at Charlemont in Massachusetts. Aisha was hosted by the Ramanathan Family, and she and Nacha hit it off right away!  Aisha even attended the Prep Jr/Sr Prom. She fit right in with our students and had a great experience!

   

  All of these girls and their families opened themselves up to new things and cultures and overall it was an extremely valuable experience for all!  We are very grateful for the Network and for all of our students and families who participated in exchanges this past year!  Stay tuned... more to come from our NCS partnership!