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Semester and Term Programs in Europe

MEI International Academy - "The World is Our Classroom"
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MEI International Academy
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Spring Semester
Spring Semester
Spring Semester
Spring Semester
Spring Semester
Spring Semester

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About

Picture yourself retracing Louis XIV’s footsteps in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, or trekking through the snow-capped Swiss Alps. Imagine swimming in the Aegean Sea, studying the Caesars in the Roman Forum, or debating the effects of the World Wars from the trenches in Germany.

SEMESTER PROGRAMS INCLUDE MULTIPLE TERMS:

TERM 1:
Europe: Kingdoms | Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Strasbourg, The Swiss Alps, Munich, Prague
Courses Offered: Grade 12 World History, Grade 12 English, Grade 12 Modern Media, Grade 12 Phys Ed

TERM 2:
Italy, Greece, and Egypt: Empires | Florence, Siena and Tuscany, Sovana, Rome and Ostia, Peloponnese, Athens, Cairo and the Nile River
Courses Offered: Grade 12 Classical Civilization, Grade 12 English, Grade 12 Phys-Ed

Highlights
  • 10:1 Student to staff ratio (maximum)
  • Earn Ministry-approved credits
  • Visit some of the most breathtaking European sites
  • Individual attention via Masterclasses
  • Live lectures, discussions and activities

Questions & Answers

Reviews

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  • Support 9.7
  • Fun 10
  • Housing 10
  • Safety 9.8
Showing 1 - 6 of 6
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Hilary
19
Canada
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

MEI though COVID

Jun 17, 2020

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. 

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
The more nerve-racking moment was learning that all our travel plans were postponed. We kept hoping that travel was simply delayed, but as the reality of COVID-19 set in, we were able to shift gears to online education. The teachers were very supportive of us through this process.
3 people found this review helpful.
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Rogan
Male
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Experience of a lifetime!

Jan 16, 2018

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!

2 people found this review helpful.
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Elizabeth
Female
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Life changing

Jan 15, 2018

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.

3 people found this review helpful.
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Derek
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Couldn't have asked for more!

Jan 11, 2018

This program changed the way I view going to school. It has introduced me to some amazing people that I will stay close with and has shown me how much the world has to teach us. The teachers on this program were incredible and I felt like I really connected with them. Totally recommend traveling with MEI and taking a semester to walk the streets of Paris, hike the Swiss Alps, and meander the coast of the Greek Islands over the same halls you've walked since grade 9!

3 people found this review helpful.
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Ted
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Completely changed my life

Jan 11, 2018

My experience with the Spring Semester program completely changed my life. The approach to education and the Ethos that MEI provides was such a unique and enriching experience, that I decided to become a teacher BECAUSE of my time with MEI. The leaders and support staff are the best teachers out there, and there's nothing better than learning about the material ON SITE! I loved my experience, and reccomend it to anyone who wants to be inspired.

2 people found this review helpful.
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Brodie
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Spring 2011

Jan 11, 2018

Almost seven years later and I am still close to the friends I made on this journey! The spring semester is the perfect program for students wanting to travel through Western Europe with both like-minded peers and educators who want to push your limits. Through morning workouts, hikes, readings, assignments, and everything in between, you will return healthier, smarter, and with more of a desire to explore the world than ever before!

2 people found this review helpful.
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Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Brodie Blaize

Program
Semester and Term Programs in Europe
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Why did you choose this program?

MEI's Spring Semester Program fit with my three main deciding factors/questions -- Where do I want to go? What courses do I want to take? Is the company reputable?

Having traveled only within North America before, I wanted to experience all of the Western European countries within this trip's itinerary. Next, I needed to plan which courses were necessary for university and thought that obtaining four university prerequisite courses by the end of my grade 11 year would alleviate my grade 12 year.

Finally, speaking with my guidance counselor, she recommended I travel with MEI Academy over others, as their program had a great reputation and the credits were regarded highly by the university administrators she was in contact with.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

Everything was taken care of for me. All flights and accommodation were organized, we had a pre-departure meeting prior the program, we were given access to a login that had academics and all the program details like hotels, flights, and packing list.

Our teachers were fantastic and they helped us with our online academics before the program, and they were also great at giving us travel tips prior to leaving.

For students going to university, there was a guidance counselor available to help them apply to university in Canada, the US or abroad.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

My advice for anyone going on this program is to hit the ground running! Take in as much as you can, it will go FAST!

80-days drags on in the real world, but with MEI Academy your days will be so fast and so full you will be telling stories about your adventure for the rest of your life!

I tell my friends to do your research before choosing a program. I know people who have been on other programs and they didn't have the same positive experience I did.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

The morning starts with a workout. We are up and getting ready for a big day - you also make space for a big breakfast! Next, you are on site -- the Colosseum, the Eiffel tower, or any other landmark where you can imagine the best lecture taking place.

With a break for lunch, some downtime for working on assignments, catching up on readings, and a final lecture before dinner you will go to bed exhausted, but ready to start fresh and start again.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

One of my biggest fears was making friends with other students I was traveling with but didn't know yet. 80-days is a long time, and I admit I was a bit anxious to meet everyone. Honestly, when the trip started, we moved so fast that I didn't worry about this.

Everyone is in the same situation as you, and as soon as you are on the plane and on your way to Paris, we all became not only friends, but BEST friends in your first few days. I heard other MEI alumni say this and I was a skeptic -- but it's true!

Where was your favorite destination?

While Tuscany was beautiful, Santorini shocked me! I am a food fanatic, and gyros at every street corner is one thing we North Americans need to experience and adopt!

Not only was Santorini beautiful, but it was one of the last destinations, so we were all so comfortable with one another and we were holding on to our last weeks together.

By that point, we all realized how lucky were had been to experience a semester like this with the people who we would be our life-long friends.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Kayleen Hogan

Program
Semester and Term Programs in Europe
Job Title
Teacher
Kayleen joined MEI International Academy in the summer of 2019 on the Trek Through Europe program and hasn't been able to return to the regular classroom since. She went on to teach on Culture, Currency & Conflict (Fall, Term 1), Trailblazers (Fall, Term 2) and will be staying on for Kingdoms (Term 3) and Empires (Term 4) this upcoming Spring, 2020.
Kayleen Hogan

What is your favorite travel memory?

I'll never forget the short walk from our bus drop off that very first evening that we arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam to our hotel. It was the Asia culture shock that we had all been waiting for and the feeling was electric!

The night was lit up with a mix of rooftop restaurant fairy lights; bright, colourful food stall signs, and the golden glow from the cities oldest, gothic Cathedral towering over the square.

We navigated the chaos of motorbikes and kids running around playing Vietnamese hacky sack in the street, just in awe of this lively scene. Vines from massive, centuries-old teak trees hang over the streets, giving it a "city in the jungle" type of feel and it feels as if every resident in the city is out sitting on a little plastic stool, enjoying life together.

It was one of my favourite impressions ever of a new place.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

The biggest change for me since starting working for MEI has been the switch in teaching style that comes with having an ever-changing classroom that is literally, the world around you.

A typical day of classroom settings might look like gym class on the beach, journaling in the park, morning lesson in a cafe and evening lesson around the hotel pool. I was so used to the resources readily available to me with a traditional, brick and mortar classroom and then all of a sudden, you find yourself out there in the world, just you and the students and it's been such a fun challenge figuring out how to structure lessons around real-world learning!

It's a very collaborative, creative, and experiential approach to learning and it's definitely made me a better educator and team-teacher.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

A lot of students talk about the self-confidence that they gained from their experience on MEI. It's confidence that comes with being out there in the world, away from home on your own and navigating your insecurities, leaving behind this person that you thought you had to be all throughout high school because of the social pressures, being alone and having to make new friends for probably the first time in a long time and really, truly learning about yourself and what you are capable of overcoming.

Students go on to feel much more prepared for making that college/university transition having already gained so much independence and confidence in themselves after MEI!

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

All of the trips go to incredible locations, so it's really about where you want to go and what you are hoping to gain from this experience!

Summer programs are jam-packed, whirlwind, two-credit trips where you are going to see and do a TON in those 6 weeks and you don't need to take time away from your regular high school. This is a really popular option that most students choose in order to free up some space in their timetable and spend an exciting summer abroad.

If you want a slower-paced, more immersive experience, then semester programs are that.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

I say this all the time and I truly mean it: I have never worked with a more inspiring, creative, FUN, intelligent, dedicated and passionate team of teachers. These are not your average, everyday classroom teachers and that's what makes MEI so unique. I am always proud to be not only teaching, but collaborating with, and learning alongside my team.

The locations we visit, the courses taught, and the topics explored are all carefully planned and blended in order to deliver a unique, all-encompassing learning experience!

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

Having whole-heartedly dedicated and passionate teachers is a HUGE part of the success of MEI, paired with students who are ready to come out and give it their all on the adventure of a lifetime.

Our class becomes very close, like a family unit, and the open communication, trust, and support within the group is really the foundation needed for having a successful trip. A teacher on MEI becomes also a mentor, a counselor, a tour guide, a friend, a guardian and even sometimes a nurse; an extra in your media film project, a workout partner, a lunch buddy, and soo much more!

About MEI International Academy

Our guiding principle has always been to encourage students to learn about the world and how to live in it. It isn’t enough to travel abroad, visit historical sites and museums, and expect meaningful connections to happen automatically. Our mission is to offer a global high school experience with each lesson designed to inspire REAL education in...

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