Education Without Frontiers Program
Education Without Frontiers Program
At InterAmerican Academy (IAA), our mission is to prepare well-rounded, adaptive, critical-thinking students with twenty-first Century as well as life-long learning skills, in order to be active participants in the improvement of society. To support the development of such critical individuals and life-long learners, IAA offers an Education without Frontiers approach through memorable trips outside of the secondary school classroom. These trips are structured to spark and maintain the curiosity in youth regarding many subject areas of study.
The educational rationale of our Education without Frontiers initiative requires that IAA, at the secondary school level, should offer (whenever possible) in-campus as well as out of campus educational experiences for students to engage in learning. Through these off/on-campus, lived-experiences, the students travel, through memorable school-structured trips, with clear and precise, subject -driven educational objectives.
The philosophy of Education without Frontiers recommends for all secondary students at IAA to participate in these memorable trips, and accrue experiences to instill passion and curiosity for specific areas of learning. In this fashion, students will have a more genuine opportunity to develop their curiosity into a life-long commitment. Educational research has shown that universities seek individuals who are independent critical thinkers. Colleges also seek students who have maintained an active travel life for educational purposes that allowed them to discover and generate academic interest in their passion within a specific learning field. Having these memorable trips can support students in ensuring a best-fit at their university of choice as well as generate a passion for their chosen field or profession.
At InterAmerican Academy (IAA), our mission is to prepare well-rounded, adaptive, critical-thinking students with twenty-first Century as well as life-long learning skills, in order to be active participants in the improvement of society. Education Without Frontiers is a multifaceted program consisting of multiple opportunities to experience education outside the confines of school walls.
Week Without Walls
The purpose of this week will be to provide students with an opportunity to take their learning experiences into the real world through various activities, which will also include a service project. This year our WWW will take place from April 8-April 14, 2019. We have the following trips planned for the differing grades:
| Grades 7-8 | Local Trips TBD One Overnight |
| Grades 9-12 Local | Los Frailes |
| Grades 9-12 International | Galapagos |
Each year we will vary the trips so that students have multiple opportunities to travel both within Ecuador and Internationally. We are so blessed to have beautiful and fascinating travel locations, literally right in our backyard.
As you can see from the above chart, grades 7-8 will be taking multiple days trips to locations near to Guayaquil with one overnight. These students will be returning back to IAA each day with the exception of the overnight.
Students in grades 9-12 will have two separate options. First, They will be invited to travel on a longer distance international trip. These trips are overnight, and will be chaperoned by IAA teachers. For those students who would prefer to stay within Ecuador, for whatever reason, they will have the opportunity to travel locally. As these trips are not as near to Guayaquil, these will be overnight, and chaperoned by IAA teachers. We will have a four year rotation with trips, so that each year a new trip will be offered, and students grades 9-12 will always have an opportunity to have a new experience.
A Week Without Walls will be for all students grades 7-12, and during this week regular classes will be on pause. Students will not be working on classwork or homework during this time. There will be no classes offered on campus. This will ensure students have time to fully experience their travels and learning while outside of the classroom.
As you can see from the above chart, grades 7-8 will be taking multiple days trips to locations near to Guayaquil with one overnight. These students will be returning back to IAA each day with the exception of the overnight.
Students in grades 9-12 will have two separate options. First, They will be invited to travel on a longer distance international trip. These trips are overnight, and will be chaperoned by IAA teachers. For those students who would prefer to stay within Ecuador, for whatever reason, they will have the opportunity to travel locally. As these trips are not as near to Guayaquil, these will be overnight, and chaperoned by IAA teachers. We will have a four year rotation with trips, so that each year a new trip will be offered, and students grades 9-12 will always have an opportunity to have a new experience.
A Week Without Walls will be for all students grades 7-12, and during this week regular classes will be on pause. Students will not be working on classwork or homework during this time. There will be no classes offered on campus. This will ensure students have time to fully experience their travels and learning while outside of the classroom.
MUN
Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations where students play the role of delegates from different countries and attempt to solve real world issues with the policies and perspectives of their assigned country. For example, a student may be assigned the United Kingdom and will have to solve global topics such as nuclear non-proliferation or climate change from the policies and perspectives of the United Kingdom.
At IAA students who participate in the International Studies class or the MUN after school activity will have a chance to plan and participate in MUN trips throughout Ecuador and Latin America.
At IAA MUN and International Studies is a student lead group and class. Students choose and help plan the MUN conferences that the group attends as well as a locally hosted MUN.
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic this class and group is on hold.
At IAA students who participate in the International Studies class or the MUN after school activity will have a chance to plan and participate in MUN trips throughout Ecuador and Latin America.
At IAA MUN and International Studies is a student lead group and class. Students choose and help plan the MUN conferences that the group attends as well as a locally hosted MUN.
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic this class and group is on hold.
Destination Imagination
Our elementary students have participated in multiple International Destination Imagination Competitions in Colombia. We aspire to re-start our DI program in 2022 following the pandemic.