Fall Semester in Europe

Mei is an unforgettable and life-changing experience. I was a student in the European fall semester of 2022, as a junior in high school. We traveled to Rome, Roccamare, Borgo, Florence, Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, the Swiss Alps, Paris, Heidelberg, Berlin, and Munich.
Travel:
To travel between cities you will take a coach, train, or airplane. We stayed in various hotels and they were always clean, with a handful even being luxury.
Community:
I am from the US, and this is a Canadian-based program. I appreciated learning from my classmates and teachers from a different country than me. All of the students are interviewed prior to the trip and go through an application process before attending. Therefore, all of my classmates wholeheartedly wanted to be there and had an eager passion for their learning. The Mei dynamic is very much a family one. You will become closer to this group of strangers than most of your friends at home. Each and every teacher and teacher assistant is very warm and truly cares about you. I have made lifelong connections with Mei whom I hold very close to my heart.
Education:
Mei creates a well-rounded, flexible, and education-hungry student. Every morning we were required to watch videos and had readings corresponding to a daily theme. One of the themes was power and there was a Machiavelli reading attached along with a series of wonderful videos. This was our morning muse and it connected to all of the coursework we completed that day. A group conversation followed this and each student brought challenging and passionate ideas, leaving me feeling inspired every day. I learned from my classmates constantly and felt like they added to my education almost as much as the material did.
Impact: I often find myself using critical skills that Mei has taught me, a year after the trip has ended. As I am in my last year of highschool, I am complimented by my teachers on my ambition and ability to think outside of the box. After returning home from Mei I felt incredibly inspired to pursue my passions and started a non profit organization at my school. I learned more about myself, my dreams, aspirations, and values more than ever before.

I went on this program during Fall 2022. I met a lot of interesting individuals, some of which I am still friends with. It was really fun and something I definitely won't forget, my only gripe is the lack of freedom for certain activities. The education I received was top notch and I became well-versed in European history. The teachers were also well-versed in their fields and truly pushed me and my fellow students further than we could have gone. The assistant teachers were nice as well. The entire group functions like a family away from home for the duration of the trip. Would reccomend.

After completing the summer trip to Greece this year, I was lucky enough to join the MEI Fall trip. The trip changed my life. I have grown and learned not only about the world around me, but have gotten to really know myself. This trip has shown me the beauties of the world we live in, and encouraged me to be the best version of myself. This is so much more than school. After being on lockdown through covid, this program has helped me find new friends and explore new opportunities I never knew existed!

The MEI experience is unique & unlike any other on the market. As an "original" student over 20+ years ago, to see my daughter get to travel and explore the world with MEI has been a profound experience as a parent. The isolation and restrictions of COVID-19 in 2020 set so many young people back, as the world opens it's doors again, I can't think of anyone I would entrust my child with to safely get back to the beauties of the world & grow and mature through the experience this education offers.

This semester is unlike anything in existence within any school system. It is truly incredible to travel throughout all of these locations and learn about the people who stood there throughout history. There was a moment about a week into the trip, after our first book chat. we were all having fun, overlooking Rome at sunset while a performer was playing. We were all just singing, laughing and observing the gorgeous city right in front of our eyes. That was the moment I realized, this experience was special and definitely could not be found anywhere else.

I registered for the MEI second semester program for Spring 2020, and just a few days before departure the world shut down due to COVID-19. While our travel has been delayed, we were able to complete our classes online. Even though it wasn't what I hoped, the online learning was well done, and helped keep a routine while we were in lockdown! 
The media program was my favourite, and I learned a lot. I want to continue to expand on what I learned when we travel, since some things I found a little more difficult to grasp through online learning. I prefer to be hands on, but given the circumstances, this was not something we could make happen. 

I will wait and leave on the travel portion when things open up for travel again. I've been looking forward to seeing the world, and I know it will happen when we can safely see the many sites we discussed in our lessons. MEI teachers did a great job supporting our class through a global pandemic from the safety of our homes. I really appreciate the online graduation ceremony that the staff put on for us! It was really nice to feel recognized. 
My plan is to carry on with post secondary, and when things open up, leave to enjoy the travel portion of this experience. I know the learning will continue, and I'm looking forward to it! Education with MEI is unlike anything in a traditional classroom. 

This trip is one of the most meaningful things I've ever been apart of. It's everything life has to offer thrown at you each morning at 7 am.
Every day is another hike, another "best meal I've ever had!", another breath taking scene, another piece of human history being explained while you literally sit in the spot "it" happened. For me it has been the perspective of the world as a whole you take away that no doubt has improved my operating system. I could not recommend this highly enough!

I loved every second of my MEI Trip! The teaching style on the trip was hands-on and experiential, which really helped me grasp the concepts I was learning. Being on-site for every lesson helped me to understand the bigger picture, which in turn helped boost my grades as things finally started to click. Getting PE credit from going on hikes and working out across Western Europe was amazing; what's better, getting PE credit running laps or hiking the Swiss Alps? Since MEI I have been fully committed to learning more about the world than what I had been exposed to in my small town prior to the Spring Semester and have had my eyes opened to an entirely new way of learning. I thoroughly enjoyed my semester abroad with MEI and would recommend it to anyone inquiring.