International Studies Program

By instilling global citizenship, Athens Academy is developing students who have the knowledge, skills, and empathy to become well-informed, productive members and leaders of their communities, whether at home or abroad.

Athens Academy’s long-standing liberal-arts based course of study has prepared our students for continued study and success in college and beyond. Now more than ever, the school’s emphasis on helping its students better understand the world they will inherit is woven throughout the curriculum, from Preschool to the twelfth grade. In the classroom, students are encouraged to broaden their perspectives through the exploration of the history, geography, economics, literature, religion, arts, language, and customs of societies worldwide.

Components of the International Studies program throughout the curriculum include:

Integration of international studies into most subjects at all grade levels
Study of world languages in Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools
Upper School international educational travel
Cultural exchanges with established partner schools
Virtual exchange and collaboration through classroom technology
Annual International Education Week guest lectures
Local and international community service learning activities

All officially-sponsored Athens Academy travel programs include academic credit. Pre-trip meetings and coursework prepare the students for traveling to the destination country. While traveling, students may chronicle their journey through a journal or blog. Upon return, the travelers have the opportunity to share their experiences with the school at large in assemblies, class presentations, or other post-trip reflections. The types of trips may include a combination of the following:

List of 3 items.

Cultural/Language Immersion

Educational tours that often include homestays or school visits to help students improve their language proficiency and understanding of a destination country’s culture.
Educational/Historical Trips

Academic enrichment trips that extend the curriculum while allowing students to apply their classroom learning in real ways.
Service Learning

Personally rewarding international travel that incorporates community service and global citizenship.

List of 1 members.

Russ Hovater

International Studies Program Chair

Samford University - B.S.
Georgia State University - M.B.A.
Emory University, Candler School of Theology - M.T.S.