MEI Academy
"The World is Our Classroom"
 | |
| High School | |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Ontario, Canada |
| Website | www.meiacademy.com |
MEI International Academy is a Canadian high school that offers accredited summer, trimester, semester, and full year high school programs in several parts of the world. The academy was founded by history teachers Joe Mei and Bernie Burns in 1997 and continues to be run by Joe and a staff of teachers. Classes are conducted in locations relevant to the course of study, in keeping with the program's objective that education should be an interactive experience. Lectures are typically conducted at historical sites, cultural landmarks, museums and galleries.
Spring 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.
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 three credit programs called trimesters; starting in September or February, and these trips are 50 days in length. Finally, MEI 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) |
| 1 | Japan: A Pacific Perspective | World Cultures (Grade 12)
OR Canadian and World Politics (Grade 12) |
July
(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 | Journey to Africa
(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) [1] |
International Business (Grade 12) & English (Grade 12) | July- August
(35 Days) |
| 2 | Adventure Down Under
(Sydney, Blue Mountain, Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, and Fiji) [2] |
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) |
| 3 | Empires: Foundations of the Western World
(Athens, Santorini, Mykonos, Olympia and Tolo, Paestum, Rome, Florence, and Tuscany) |
Classical Civilization (Grade 12) & Human Dimensions (Grade 12) & English (Grade 12)
*Students have a choice between English, Writers Craft or Studies in Literature |
September-October
(50 Days) |
| 3 | BioInquiry: Discovering Central America
(Caye Caulker, San Ignacio and Placencia, Flores, Antigua, La Fortuna, Monteverde, Montezuma, and Manuel Antonio) |
Biology (Grade 12) & Human Dimensions (Grade 12) & English (Grade 12)
*Students have a choice between English, Writers Craft or Studies in Literature |
September-October
(50 Days) |
| 3 | Tanzanian Expedition
(Mt. Kilimanjaro, Safari, Mount Meru, Pangani, and Zanzibar) |
World Issues (Grade 12) & Media Studies (Grade 12) & English (Grade 12)
*Students have a choice between English, Writers Craft or Studies in Literature |
February-March
(50 Days) |
| 3 | China & Japan: Cultures in Context
(Beijing, Hong Kong, Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto, Takayama, Nagoya, and |
World Issues (Grade 12)
OR Economics (Grade 12) Media Studies (Grade 12) & English (Grade 12) *Students have a choice between English, Writers Craft or Studies in Literature |
March- May
(50 Days) |
| 4 | The East: First Semester
(Beijing, Hong Kong, South Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangkok, Sydney, Daintree Forest, Cairns and Great Barrier Reef, Tablelands, Melbourne, and Fiji) |
Choice of English (Grade 11 or 12) OR Studies in Literature (Grade 12) OR Writers Craft (Grade 12)
Choice of International business (Grade 12) OR Economics (Grade 12) OR Business Leadership (Grade 12) Choice of World Issues (Grade 12) OR Equity and Social Justice (Grade 12) Choice of Media Production (Grade 12) OR Media Arts (Grade 11 or 12) |
September- December
(80 Days) |
| 4 | The West: Second Semester
(Paris, Strasbourg, Swiss Alps, Munich, Venice, Florence and Tuscany, Rome, |
Choice of English (Grade 11 or 12) OR Studies in Literature (Grade 12) OR Writers Craft (Grade 12)
Choice of Human Dimensions (Grade 11 or 12) OR Healthy Active Living (Grade 12) OR Physical Education (Grade 11) 2 choices of World History since the Fifteenth Century OR Classical Civilization, (both Grade 12) OR Philosophy (Grade 12) |
March- June
(80 Days) |
Reunions
The academy encourages alumni to keep in touch after a program has concluded. To that end, MEI hosts post-trip reunions. In 2006, the MEI Games were introduced at the annual fall reunion; programs faced off in a variety of contests, and in the spirit of friendly competition, for a trophy.