MEI Academy
MEI International Academy (abbreviated as MEI) is an international education company that specializes in experiential learning, academic coursework, and educational travel. All programming is designed for secondary school students. No dedicated classrooms are used as lectures are delivered on location.[1]
Type | High School |
---|---|
Industry | Education |
Founded | 1997 |
Founder | Joe Mei |
Headquarters | Ontario, Canada |
Website | www.meiacademy.com |
MEI is headquartered in Caledon, Ontario, and is accredited by the Ontario Ministry of Education through the Upper Grand District School Board.[2] Course credits from MEI appear on student academic records and can be used for university entrance.[3]
School Overview
MEI offers Semester and Summer Programs for students in grades 10, 11, and 12.[4]
Lectures are conducted at historical sites, cultural landmarks, museums and galleries, in various locations.[5]
The East: First Semester Program
Students spend 80 days traveling through Beijing, Hong Kong, Mui Ne, Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Riep, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Bali, Sydney, Cairns, The Great Barrier Reef, and the Sunshine Coast of Australia, and earn four senior level high school courses. Courses of study include students’ choice of one Business, one Media, one English, and one Humanities course.[6]
The West: Second Semester Program
The spring semester odyssey is MEI’s flagship program. Students spend 80 days traveling through France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Greece, and earn four senior level high school credits. Courses of study include World History, Classical Civilization, English and an Interdisciplinary Studies course called Human Dimensions. The World History course is taught during the first half of the spring semester, and focuses on the history of Europe from the Middle Ages to present. Students travel to Paris, Strasbourg, the Swiss Alps, Heidelberg, Munich, Venice, Florence and Siena during this time. Over the second half of the semester, which begins in Rome and continues through Pompeii, the Peloponnese, Athens and the Greek Islands, students focus on ancient civilizations. The English and Human Dimensions courses run throughout the entire semester, which allows for the integration of the two history courses with literature, writing assignments, philosophy and physical activities.[7]
The North: Term 1
Our goal is simple: to improve your mind-body and emotional stamina, while experiencing an adventure of a lifetime as we travel through Quebec’s cities and national parks. In the backcountry you will gain skills camping, cycling, and canoeing. The hands-on application of new skills each day will ignite your energy level and supercharge your brain. We call it a ‘Mind and Body Boot Camp.’
Summer Programs
MEI Academy offers one- and two-course summer programs. These trips range from 25–40 days in length. All nine summer programs commence in early July. MEI also offers half or full year four course programs, one in Fall and one in Spring. These semester trips both spend 80 days abroad and together create a full year program.
# of Credits | Program | Courses Offered | Dates |
---|---|---|---|
2 | Backpackers: Central America
(Caye Caulker, San Ignacio, Placencia, La Fortuna, Monteverde, and Manuel Antonio) |
Biology (Grade 12) & English (Grade 12) | July- August
(35 Days) |
1 | English Through The Ages
(Paris, London, Lake District, and Edinburgh) |
English (Grade 11 & 12)
OR Studies in Literature (Grade 12) OR Writer’s Craft (Grade 12) |
July
(25 Days) |
1 | France & Switzerland: A Cultural Affair
(Paris, Annecy, Swiss Alps, Avignon, and Nice) |
French:
Core (Grade 11 & 12) Extended (Grade 11 & 12) Immersion (Grade 11 & 12) |
July- August
(25 Days) |
2 | Ancient World Odyssey | Classical Civilization (Grade 12) & English (Grade 12)
Classical Civilization (Grade 11) & English (Grade 11) |
July- August
(35 Days) |
2 | Trek Through Europe
(London, Paris, Strasbourg, Swiss Alps, Munich, and Prague) |
World History since the Fifteenth Century (Grade 12) & English (Grade 12) | July- August
(35 Days) |
2 | Expedition to Tanzania
(Mt. Kilimanjaro, Safari, Moshi, and Pangani) |
World Issues (Grade 12) & English (Grade 12)
*Includes Community Service Project and volunteer hours |
July- August
(35 Days) |
2 | International Business- East meets West
(Toronto, New York City, Beijing, Hong Kong, Paris, and London) [8] |
International Business (Grade 12) & English (Grade 12) | July- August
(35 Days) |
2 | Adventure Down Under
(Sydney, Blue Mountain, Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, and Fiji) [9] |
Healthy Active Living (Grade 12) & English (Grade 11 or 12)
Human Dimensions: IDC (Grade 12) & English (Grade 11 or 12) |
July- August
(35 Days) |
1 | Spanish: Sketches of Spain
(Madrid, Costa Brava, Pyrenees, and Barcelona) |
International languages, Level 3
International languages, Level 4 |
July- August
(25 Days) |
1 | English in Western Europe
(Paris, Swiss Alps, Amsterdam, Berlin) |
English (Grade 11 & 12)
OR Studies in Literature (Grade 12) OR Writers Craft (Grade 12) |
July- August
(25 Days) |
1 | English in Spain and Portugal
(Barcelona, Costa Brava, Málaga, Lisbon and the Algarve) |
English (Grade 11 & 12)
OR Studies in Literature (Grade 12) OR Writers Craft (Grade 12) |
July- August
(25 Days) |
1 | Business Golf: Out of the Rough
(Toronto, Muskoka, Mont-Tremblant and Montreal) |
Business Leadership (Grade 12) | July- August
(25 Days) |
1 | Pillars of the West
(Rome, Sorrento, Olympia, the Peloponnese and Athens) |
Classical Civilizations (Grade 12) | July- August
(25 Days) |
1 | Footsteps to Modern World
(Paris, the Swiss Alps, Amsterdam and Berlin) |
World History since the Fifteenth Century (Grade 12) | July- August
(25 Days) |
Notable courses
- In 2015, a MEI study abroad course brought the first ever high-school aged students to study at Herstmonceux Castle, in England.[10]
References
- http://www.meiacademy.com/the-best-practices/
- https://www.ugdsb.ca/programs/experiential-learning/experiential-learning-choices-programs/
- https://meiacademy.com/legacy/about-us/
- http://www.meiacademy.com/design-your-own-education/
- http://www.meiacademy.com/the-best-campus/
- http://www.meiacademy.com/semester-study-abroad-programs/2018-first-semester-study-abroad-program/
- http://www.meiacademy.com/semester-study-abroad-programs/2018-second-semester-study-abroad-program/
- "International Business".
- "Adventure Down Under". Archived from the original on 2015-03-30.
- https://www.thewhig.com/2015/03/11/high-school-students-get-chance-to-experience-herstmonceux/wcm/fb11c5a4-ae4c-e1e2-be43-64ba13a20ca0