Independence, new perspectives, language fluency, greater understanding of cultural identity and difference, discovering and deepening intellectual interests, connections to the natural world: these are just some of the positive results returning students mention about their experiences of study away programs.

Lakeside Upper School students have the option of studying off campus during one or two semesters of their junior year.

While students who decide to study off campus represent a diverse group, what they have in common is a desire to experience a new and different environment, and engage in meaningful learning and living in a particular setting, whether it is in the heart of Washington, D.C., the high peaks of the Rockies, a working farm in Maine, or a small town in France. 

I’m profoundly grateful I took on this challenge. In Chile, I forged friendships with people from diverse backgrounds, tasted the thrill of whitewater kayaking, and learned to navigate the rugged backcountry with a topographic map.- Noah M. '25

Study Away Programs

Lakeside School collaborates with a range of study away programs, which are pre-approved based on the quality of their curriculum, immersive place-based education, quality of student support services, financial aid availability (merit and need), and commitment to student safety, as well as how their mission aligns with our own.

• School Year Abroad with campuses in Italy, France, and Spain (www.sya.org).
• The Mountain School in rural Vermont (www.mountainschool.org).
• Maine Coast Semester at Chewonki in coastal Maine (www.mainecoastsemester.org).
• The School for Ethics and Global Leadership in Washington, D.C. (schoolforethics.org).
• Alzar School in Idaho and Chilean Patagonia (www.alzarschool.org).
• High Mountain Institute in the mountains of Colorado (www.hminet.org).

Every fall, 10th graders gather in a class meeting to hear from representatives of each study away program. Following that meeting, interested students meet with the director of experiential education before winter break, to answer specific questions for the student and their family. Applications for each study away program are due in mid-February each year.