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Semester and Term Programs in Europe

MEI International Academy - "The World is Our Classroom"
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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:
Greece and Rome: Empires | Santorini, Mykonos, Athens, The Peloponnese, Olympia, Rome, Tuscany, Florence

Courses Offered: Grade 12 Classical Civilization, Grade 12 Philosophy, Grade 12 English, Grade 12 Phys-Ed

TERM 2:
Europe: Kingdoms | Porto, Lisbon, The Algarve, Málaga, Barcelona, Paris, Strasbourg, The Swiss Alps, Munich

Courses Offered: Grade 12 World History, Grade 12 English, Grade 12 Phys-Ed

Questions & Answers

Reviews

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based on 5 reviews
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  • Growth 10
  • Support 9.6
  • Fun 10
  • Housing 10
  • Safety 9.8
Showing 1 - 5 of 5
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!

Elizabeth
Female
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Life changing

Jan 16, 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.

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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!

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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.

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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!

Read my full story

Alumni Interviews

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

Brodie Blaize

Program
Semester and Term Programs in Europe

Brodie traveled with MEI Academy on their 80-day Spring Semester Program in 2011, before pursuing an undergraduate in business at the DeGroote School of Business, at McMaster University.

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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.

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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