Imagine protecting rainforests in Malaysia, walking through ancient temples in Japan, and learning how communities rebuild in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These experiences invite students to see the world through new eyes and to discover how curiosity can lead to understanding.
Malaysia
Summer Term
In Malaysia, learning takes root in one of the world’s richest ecosystems
During their first term, students journey to Asia’s largest island, Borneo, where learning unfolds in the heart of giant caverns, dense jungles, and tropical rainforests. Malaysia’s northern state of Sabah will serve as our home base, a region shaped by more than 40 Indigenous groups whose languages, traditions, and craftsmanship reflect centuries of living in close harmony with the land.
Known for its incredible biodiversity, Borneo has long drawn scientists from around the world. Students will have the chance to study plants and wildlife found nowhere else on Earth, from pitcher plants and proboscis monkeys to coral reefs teeming with life. Each encounter invites reflection on how ecosystems and communities sustain one another, and how curiosity can lead to care.
2024 Project
How can we represent the culture of Malaysia and Sabah with photography, writing, and food?
Japan
Fall Term
Tradition and modernity combine for a timeless experience
Japan offers a study in contrasts: a culture deeply rooted in tradition yet constantly evolving through innovation. During their term here, students will call Hiroshima home, a city known worldwide for its resilience and enduring commitment to peace. Walking its cherry-blossom streets, visiting temples and gardens, and meeting the people who have rebuilt this city from loss to hope offer lessons that stay long after the term ends.
Learning in Japan takes many forms. Students might listen to hibakusha share their stories, practice traditional arts such as kendo or kodō drumming, or explore how technology connects people and ideas across borders. Projects often grow from themes of design, storytelling, and ethics, encouraging reflection on innovation, memory, and responsibility in a changing world.
Hinda Ina Bicaj’20
ON THE CONSCIOUS CONSUMERISM MODULE
“The Conscious Consumerism module was wild. It was a chance to embark on some very non-vegetarian tours in Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market, run errands for locally produced products, and cook with traditional sushi chefs. We learned a lot about the battle between an economy dependent on fish consumption and the growing environmental risk, all while eating delicious egg rolls.”
Thinking about the marketing of ideas in a digital age by studying marketing principles and targeting a unique Hiroshima product to a local or international audience
Investigating and producing a national energy plan for Japan by investigating the perspectives of different stakeholders, including environmental NGOs, the government, and regular citizens
Creating a project for learners across the world that leverages one of the social sciences and the technologies of virtual and augmented reality
A Hiroshima Story for the World
On the 6th of August 1945, a bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, killing hundreds of thousands of people. During their 2019 term, CM2 students Levith A. and Julie G. filmed the short film A Hiroshima Story for the World, which shares the story of Soh Horie, a hibakusha (atomic bomb survivor). Mr. Horie has fought throughout his entire life to promote his message of world peace, and its importance.
Bosnia and Herzegovina invites students to look beyond assumptions and see how a country rebuilds after conflict. During their time here, they will call Sarajevo home, a city that has rebuilt itself from the scars of a brutal siege into a center of culture, creativity, and dialogue. In the city’s streets and cafés, students witness how history, identity, and reconciliation continue to shape daily life.
Beyond Sarajevo, learning may include visits to sites such as Srebrenica or Mostar, where the effects of division and the work of rebuilding are still visible. Through conversations with local communities, research, and reflection, students explore how people remember, rebuild, and move forward, and how grappling with the past can open paths toward empathy and hope.
Samtag Prakke’16
ON HIS PIVOTAL BOSNIA EXPERIENCE:
“I was really affected by what happened in Srebrenica. After that weekend trip, I realized how one-sided that war was. Now I’ve looked into attaining an international law degree. I want to be able to change injustices like that. It’s a driving force now. It’s not just standing behind something and saying I support it. It’s going further, and I really want to do something and help the people in Bosnia. Not to just have justice, but to work together in moving forward.”
Art, architecture, and adventure abound in this culinary paradise
Italy offers a living classroom where history, art, and daily life meet. During their time here, students will call Florence home, a city that has inspired artists, scientists, and thinkers for centuries. They will walk its narrow streets, cross the Arno, and share meals that reflect the same creativity found in its galleries and workshops. In every corner of the city, from bustling markets to quiet studios, they will experience how craft, culture, and community continue to shape the way we see the world.
Projects will likely build on Italy’s long dialogue between tradition and innovation. Students will study design through sustainability, explore the legacy of art and architecture, and trace how ideas, like recipes passed down through generations, travel and evolve across time.
Planned Projects
How can we blend math, engineering, and Italian design to create an innovative car or fashion piece?
How can we engineer a Renaissance-inspired kinetic sculpture that captures human movement and blends art with science?
How can we adapt a classic play using Commedia dell’Arte techniques and masks?
Ready to embark on the educational journey of a lifetime?
A passion for travel. A strong academic record. And the desire to improve the world as you experience it. If this sounds like you, you just might be our ideal candidate! Start your application with a five-minute inquiry form - you never know where you might end up.
Ready to embark on the educational journey of a lifetime?
A passion for travel. A strong academic record. And the desire to improve the world as you experience it. If this sounds like you, you just might be our ideal candidate! Start your application with a five-minute inquiry form - you never know where you might end up.
