ENGAGING EACH STUDENT INTELLECTUALLY AND PERSONALLY WITH THE WORLD

Global Learning: Global ExperienceMKA’s Global Experience prepares students across the three campuses to live, learn and work in the 21st century world as intellectually and personally engaged global citizens.

At the Primary School, our students celebrate world cultures and learn about traditions different from their own. At the Middle School, students are actively engaged in getting to know the world through group travel, interactive technology and investigation into global events and culture.

At the Upper School, students have opportunities, both inside and outside of the classroom, to develop an awareness of themselves as global citizens. The interconnectedness of three key strands assures that all MKA students participate in the essential process of inquiry to understand who they are as global citizens. First, a required Global Citizenship course for all 9th graders provides context and information for the development of such awareness. Second, Round Table discussions, highlighting various global events and diverse global perspectives, invite both alumni and professionals from the community who have traveled extensively or who work in a global context to engage our students in discussions on global issues, the impact of travel and developing one’s own global perspective. Finally, international and domestic travel experiences extend from and expand upon the Upper School curriculum.

Whether our students travel to China on a cultural exploration, to Guatemala to build houses with a service organization or to Chile to immerse themselves in the language and culture, their experiences are life-changing. Through travel, students find themselves in the position to affect social and political change. They are encouraged to build bridges between themselves and people in other places through acquisition of language and cultural, geographical and historical knowledge.

Upper School students are encouraged to travel at least once during their time at MKA. To that end, all students will have the opportunity to apply for financial assistance to help support the cost of one trip during their time at the MKA Upper School. The following trip descriptions are a sampling of the types of travel opportunities that will be offered through MKA’s Global Experience Program.

I know that every time I look at the

Chilean flag that hangs proudly in my

room, gifted to me by my Chilean family,

I will be reminded of my wonderful

experience there, the experience that

has inspired me to continue studying

and practicing Spanish and traveling

around the world. -Payson Ruhl ‘15

In alternating years, the Middle School offers trips to Spain and France. The primary objective of these trips is to give 7th and 8th grade students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the culture of the language that they study. These cultural explorations aim to cultivate a love of learning in each student as well as to strengthen each student’s intellect, character and confidence, thereby encouraging them to become independent and autonomous learners.

In Spain, students spend a week in Salamanca, with a stopover in Madrid. While visiting Salamanca, students attend Spanish classes at “Colegio Delibes” in the mornings and tour Salamanca and its surroundings in the afternoons and evenings. Besides visiting local attractions such as La Peña de Francia, the highest point in the region, or Ávila, an ancient, walled city, students take salsa lessons and try local food such as churros con chocolate and traditional Spanish tapas.

In France, the students spend a week in Paris, Avignon, Eze and Nice. During the last three days of this trip, students attend French classes at the Institut d’ Enseignement Actif in Nice in the mornings and visit local sites at other times of the day, including an afternoon trip to Monaco. In addition to seeing the Palace of Versailles, Notre-Dame, and the Eiffel Tower, students interact with the local culture by taking a French cooking class and talking with the local people.

Middle School Travel Opportunities France & Spain

This Spring Break trip to Taiwan gives Upper School Chinese language students an opportunity to use Mandarin Chinese and to learn more about Chinese culture and recent history in an authentic context. Their knowledge of Chinese culture is enhanced by a visit to the National Palace Museum in Taipei as well as by visits to other cultural sites in Taipei and Chiayi County in rural Taiwan. To enrich the students’ interest in and knowledge of Mandarin Chinese, as well as to introduce the Chinese educational system, MKA students individually shadow and interact with a Chinese high school student during a typical school day. Not only can this strengthen students’ motivation to excel in their Chinese studies, but it also enhances their understanding of this newly emerging and prosperous Asian society.

My trip to Taiwan was a life-changing experience. Shopping at the night market, watching a Chinese opera, visiting the infamous Taipei 101, going to the majestic memorial of Chiang Kai-shek and eating delicious food every meal were just a few of the activities I thoroughly enjoyed. While visiting Buddhist temples, standing amid parades, lanterns and fireworks, I learned of the vibrant culture of festivals. The tour of a hospital revealed an interesting mixture of Western and Eastern medicine. At the schools we visited, I not only had a chance to experience all classes in Mandarin but also make friends with my peers halfway around the globe. The trip inspired me to continue my study of Mandarin with even greater vigor and excitement.

-Emily Lau, MKA Class of 2013

TAIWAN A Chinese Language Experience

One of the most rewarding aspects of language study is the chance to use the skills learned in the classroom and experience another culture in an authentic setting. To that end, the French students at MKA have the opportunity to participate in two trips in a typical four-year high school career to practice their French and become

acquainted with two small corners of the vast, French-speaking world.

First, MKA offers a short, five-day excursion to Québec over Presidents’ Day weekend. This trip is designed to expose students to a flavor of Québécois culture and history at the time of year that Québec is at its most beautiful—winter! Students have the opportunity to go dog-sledding, snowshoeing and tobogganing; visit a historical museum of Québec City, learn about the English victory over the French on the Plains of Abraham; and visit the famous Château Frontenac as well as “la cabane à sucre,” where they learn about the production of maple syrup. In most years, this trip also coincides with the Carnaval de Québec, the largest winter carnival in North America.

QUEBECWinter Carnival

Second, French students are invited to take part in a cultural exchange with French students from Centre Madeleine Danielou, a school located on the outskirts of Paris. Students are able to use their language in the most authentic of settings with a French family. Our exchange program allows students to experience French culture and language among native speakers. In addition, through the excursions and events they participate in, they visit some of the places they have learned about in their courses, such as the Louvre, Versailles and the Notre Dame Cathedral. Students may host the French students during their stay at MKA and then travel to France during Spring Break, to stay with a French family and fully immerse themselves in the language and culture of France.

It’s one thing to learn French vocabulary in a classroom, and it’s another to pick up French words in a boulangerie in Paris. The most important thing about the French trip was that I really got to practice my French and see how French people speak with their teachers, family and friends. I loved staying with a French family. I loved the fact that we not only got a feel of the suburbs of Paris but also got a feel for the city of Paris, with all of its beautiful monuments.

- Yazata Bhote, MKA Class of 2013

FRANCE EXCHANGE PROGRAMwith Centre Madeleine Danielou

Open to all students who wish to extend their community service experiences beyond our local community, MKA sponsors service-learning trips each year to an international location and every other year to a location within the United States. Often, the international trip is a build trip in a Spanish-speaking country, where students who have been studying Spanish use their language skills in real-life situations and ALL students have the opportunity to communicate with and interact with local villagers for whom we build. Students participate in every level of the building process, from clearing land to digging foundations, mixing concrete to mortaring with re-bar and blocks and setting scaffolding to replacing roofs. The USA service-learning experience may involve a building project or one of many other types of service, including but not limited to cooking and serving meals at an assisted living center to reading aloud to children at the Boys and Girls Club or painting bleachers at a horse racing stadium. Whether at home or abroad, students forge personal connections through the sweat equity every member of both, the local and MKA teams, provides to the job at hand. Often through the organizations with whom we volunteer, students have opportunities to volunteer in schools within the community and/or with a local healthcare clinic. At some point during the service commitment, students participate in excursions that allow for unique geographical and/or historical experiences. Trips are generally 7-9 days in length and take place either during the first week of Spring Break or after final exams in June. Students may use service hours collected towards their graduation service requirement.

Service-Learning TripsAt Home and Abroad

2015 Build Trip - From Houses to Homes: Guatemala This 8-day community service and cultural experience involves a 5-day building assignment with From Houses to Homes (De Casas a Hogares) in and near Antigua, Guatemala, and 2 days of touring and visiting sites around the area.

2015 Service Learning - Global Volunteers: Montana This 9-day community service and cultural/historical experience involves 5 days of community service projects on a Blackfeet Reservation in Northern Montana in partnership with Global Volunteers. Students participate in evening cultural activities and spend a day exploring nearby Glacier National Park as well as other nearby areas.

The Habitat for Humanity trip to Tennessee was a memorable one. From the moment we were introduced to the habitat crew, they were all very genuine and friendly. Immediately, they trusted us because they let us do a variety of hands-on tasks. We had a chance to do everything from painting, to gardening, to even cementing. We learned the value of hard work, appreciation for where we come from and respect for the people who run Habitat -- while bonding and having a good time.

- Diana Arena, MKA Class of 2013

What was really special for me was seeing the smile on the woman’s face--she was so glad we were helping her build her dream house, and she was very happy that we were there. We had made a difference in her life, giving her a house she could finally call home.

- Yanick Couture, MKA Class of 2012

At MKA we do not just educate,

we empower.

To enrich students’ knowledge of ancient Rome, these two trips, which may be taken singly or in either order, focus on early Roman history, from the founding of the city through the fall of the Republic:

• The Roman Republic: Rome & Tuscany (Florence) • The Roman Empire: Rome & Campania (Naples)

While all students are welcome to participate in this experience, the Latin trip is specifically designed as a complement to the

Latin curriculum, so each trip serves primarily to connect the classroom with the real world (and preference in sign up is given to students who are currently enrolled in Latin). Accordingly, after mastering the vocabulary and grammar of the language, students have the opportunity to put their Latin skills to use deciphering inscriptions in

situ during a tour of the Roman Forum. After learning about daily life in a typical Italian port city like Ostia or Pompeii, students have the opportunity to visit these sites for themselves and explore their extensive archaeological remains. And, after pouring over the texts of Caesar and Vergil, students have the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of these famous Romans during a visit to the Rubicon or Campania. In anticipation of the trip, students will complete a series of assigned readings in order to ensure that they are properly prepared both to appreciate and to enjoy this special adventure. In short, through the MKA Latin trip, students can see for themselves that Latin, far from a “dead language,” is alive and well.

ANDIAMO IN ITALIA!The Rise and Fall of Rome

This culminating May Term trip provides a unique opportunity for Seniors to be much more than tourists in the fascinating land of China. Students have the chance to interact with the Chinese people and immerse themselves in the culture in a personal way. With visits to Beijing, Xian and Chengdu, students experience first-hand what it is like to practice Tai Chi during morning rituals in a local park, learn how to prepare traditional Chinese cooking at the Jinsong Zhigao Cooking School, hold a giant panda at the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center or travel on an overnight train. Through visits to Daoist and Buddhist monasteries, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Terracotta Warriors and the legendary Great Wall, students learn more about some of the incredible history and culture of China that they studied during the May Term prior to the actual trip. Students not only the have the opportunity to interact with China in a way experienced by few Americans, but they are also able to use some of their rudimentary Chinese to speak with vendors, ask for directions and to order food.

About a 45-minute drive outside Chengdu lies the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, and it is just as fantastically amazing as the name implies. Our guide called the base the “panda park,” which is pretty accurate – the paths wind around the enclosures through tunnels of bamboo, and there is a large lake with koi and swans. Imagine a medium-sized zoo, only instead of many species of animals, there are only pandas. This habitat? Giant panda. Over there? Red panda. Gift shop? Panda souvenirs. Restaurant? Panda plates. Signs? Panda shaped. Shuttle buses? Panda paint job. All is panda. It is beautiful.

- Nell Hryshko, MKA class of 2012 excerpt from “Is This the Real Life, or Is It Just Pandasy?”

China: Tradition and CultureMay Term

The Artists of France & Spain trip, sponsored by the Fine and Performing Arts Department, provides seniors with the opportunity to enrich their knowledge of art and architecture in Paris, Provence, Barcelona and Madrid during the May Term. Students will explore visual art (sculpture, painting and architecture throughout history, including contemporary art). This tour will be an extraordinary experience for seniors that want to immerse themselves in the culture, history and language of these European cities.

Art experiences in Paris include visits to the masterpieces in the Louvre, Impressionist treasures at the Musée d’Orsay and the Rodin Museum dedicated to the works of sculptor, Auguste Rodin. In addition to sites such as Monet’s Giverny Gardens, Notre Dame Cathedral and Eiffel Tower, students will have the opportunity to meet French students. Students will then travel by train to Avignon in the Provence region to discover the places that inspired Cézanne, Picasso and Van Gogh. They will step inside the Palais du Pape to see stunning Italian frescoes, see the Arles amphitheater and the Port du Gard, an aqueduct that supplied the Romans with running water. Students participate in a walking and biking tour of architectural sites in Barcelona to view the distinctive work of Antoni Gaudí including Parque Güell, Casa Mila and La Sagrada Familia. Also included in the tour, will be a visit to extensive collection of the Picasso Museum. Students will participate in an art workshop and enjoy an evening of Flamenco dancing. The final stop on the tour will be in Madrid and include visits to the Prado and Royal Palace.

The Artists of France and Spain May Term

This one-week trip to London, England, and surrounding areas gives students an outstanding opportunity to visit the greatest “pilgrimage sites” of English literature: London and Westminster (Bloomsbury/Dickens Museum, the Globe and Poets’ Corner), the Lake District (associated with the Romantic poets), the Yorkshire moors and Haworth (the Brontës), Stratford (Shakespeare) and Bath (Austen). In addition to visiting legendary sights, students also attend theatre events at Stratford, the National Theatre and/or the Globe. By enabling students to ground their past (and future) reading experiences in actual places, people and events, the trip brings new life to the greatest writers and works in the English language.

The chief purpose of this trip is to foster and deepen students’ love of literature and of the history behind it. Indeed, one of the key benefits of the trip is that it gives students a much fuller sense of the interrelation of literature and history. The trip allows students to engage with English culture and to ask how that culture informs their own attitudes. For example, students are prompted to wonder what modern American society owes to English writers such as Shakespeare and Dickens. What has America inherited from its British past and what has it left behind? And in a different vein, students confront questions about modern England’s relationship to its controversial (and sometimes mythical) literary past, as well as about how our own culture may be different and similar.

England in History, Myth and LegendBringing the Past Into the Present

The Chile Exchange Program is an exchange with Instituto Abdón Cifuentes in San Felipe, Chile, a prestigious private school where influential Chileans have studied. A small group of students from Instituto Abdón Cifuentes visit MKA during the month of February and, in turn, MKA students travel to Chile in June. MKA students may participate in either part of the exchange or in both parts if they so desire.

Both in Chile and at MKA, students aim to speak solely in the target language, participate in curricular activities at the host school, have the opportunity to do community service projects in the local communities and take cultural and historical trips in the surrounding areas. In order for students to fully immerse themselves in the language and culture of the host country, students stay with host families hand-selected by the hosting school. Staying in Chile allows upper-level Spanish students a fabulous opportunity to immerse themselves in an authentic, Spanish-speaking world. By living with a host family and living their day-to-day lives in San Felipe, students put their classroom language acquisition to the test and develop essential intercultural skills. In order to travel to Chile, MKA students must have completed Spanish Level 3.

Spending a month in Chile was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I loved immersing myself in the language, culture and just being in the company of such friendly, loving people. The experience of living in a home-stay made this trip all the more unforgettable.

-Payson Ruhl, MKA Class of 2015

Chile Exchange Programwith Instituto Abdón Cifuentes

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