Once-in-a-lifetime opportunities

Interim Semester offers SAS students opportunities such as trekking in the Himalayas of Nepal, service in the Philippines, exploring the spirituality and culture of Tibet, investigating the history of Turkey, student teaching at SAS's elementary and middle schools and sailing, or golfing in Singapore.

For one week during second semester, all regularly scheduled high school courses cease while students and teachers participate in an extraordinary global program.

Interim Semester is a required off-campus experience designed to enhance the curriculum by providing high school students with diverse educational experiences beyond the traditional classroom. Interim Semester courses offered vary slightly from year to year, but will range from activities in Singapore to excursions to other nations in Asia and beyond. In October students receive specific information about courses that will be offered for that school year and will be asked to make their selection.

Interim semester allows high school students to participate in three types of experiences:

  • Global Studies: These courses denote active participation and awareness of our interconnectedness with people and cultures around the world. Students will deepen their understanding of the world through themes. These themes may cross any academic discipline and often focus on development (resource management, environmental care, poverty), peace and conflict, cultural expression, and political conditions. Language study, which facilitates all cultural understanding, is also a valued focus area.
  • Eco-Adventure: These courses are designed around the belief that the outdoors provides the greatest context for humans to grow socially, emotionally and academically. As such, eco–adventure courses provide students opportunities to learn and develop physically and intellectually while being fully immersed in the natural environment. Students will return from these excursions with an improved self–perception, increased academic skill–set and a robust sense of the environmental dynamics of the region visited.
  • Service Learning: These courses have the capacity to touch on each of the desired student learning outcomes of the school’s strategic focus. By using the model that knowledge leads to compassion, and compassion to action, service–learning projects give students the opportunity to make a positive impact on the local community in which they work. Service learning provides a framework in which students learn and develop through active contribution in thoughtfully prepared service that meets the needs of the community.

High school students must complete at least one service learning Interim course to graduate.

SINCE 1973, STUDENTS HAVE MADE 35,776 INTERIM SEMESTER TRIPS TO DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD.

Wanderlust with a Purpose

1,194

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students participated in Interim semester in 2017

30

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-hour survival challenge in the New Zealand outback in Interim semester 2017

118

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teachers traveled with their students in Interim semester 2016

20

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students flew to Tanzania in 2016 for community building service

A Universal language

Testimonial

The universal languages of laughter and soccer bonded us, and at any moment at least three children were hanging off any SAS student, learning how to use their camera, playing hairdresser, or teaching us a new clapping game or song.

On our last day, the village officials thanked us. Each student and teacher was wreathed with a garland of purple flowers by those who had all picked and sewn them together for us. I waved goodbye to Vivienne, one of the girls whom I'd spent a lot of time teaching and playing with, and thought about how much Njoro was giving us in return for the short time we were lucky enough to work there.

Charlotte Reimer (Class of 2017)

Student Photo Gallery