Academica International Studies Dual Diploma Program: A Comprehensive Overview
Academica International Studies (AIS) is a pioneering force in K-12 online education, aligning its model with the needs of the 21st-century learner. AIS offers students worldwide the opportunity to earn an American High School Diploma alongside their local high school diploma. This dual diploma can be a tremendous asset in a globalized world.
Introduction to Academica International Studies
AIS is committed to providing a robust and well-rounded curriculum, backed by accreditation from Cognia, a notable indicator of quality in education. Courses are NCAA and College Board approved, ensuring that students engage with a program recognized for its rigor and relevance. The virtual environment at AIS is one of its core strengths, where courses are designed to cater to a variety of learning styles and preferences. Synchronous and asynchronous options provide the flexibility needed for students with diverse schedules and responsibilities.
The Dual Diploma Experience
Academica's Dual Diploma (DD) offers students worldwide a multifaceted educational experience. The program is committed to providing students with:
- A rigorous, intellectually stimulating academic program that culminates in the receipt of a fully-accredited (SACS CASI) U.S. high school diploma.
- An immersive English language learning model.
- Social and technological skills that lead to a competitive advantage in an increasingly interconnected global society.
- Access to a thriving global community of like-minded 21st-century learners.
Program Expansion and Global Reach
The Dual Diploma program began as a pilot program with seven students in a small region of northern Spain. By July of 2012, when the inaugural class of students graduated, the Dual Diploma program had spread throughout Spain-from Madrid to Barcelona to Sevilla and everywhere in between. The program expanded to include students in Argentina, Colombia, and Venezuela. It continued to grow exponentially, reaching countries such as Italy. By Fall 2015, AIS was poised to enroll its first students in Brazil, Mexico, and Guatemala. The program's reach extends throughout Scandinavia and the rest of Europe, into new territories from the United Arab Emirates, to Nigeria, and into East Asia, in countries like China. Today, it is one of the largest educational networks in the world, with thousands of students who have graduated from Academica International Studies (AIS) in more than 30 countries. Students simultaneously work to earn their home country secondary diploma issued by the student’s home country school. AIS is a multilingual, multicultural network, and a pioneering educational program that prepares students to face the challenges of the future.
Academic Rigor and Curriculum
The program's success is largely due to the tireless commitment of faculty and staff to deliver the most multidimensional high school experience available to students throughout the world. The primary focus of the program is to provide students with an academically rigorous and intellectually enriching program. In a span of 2-4 years, students will earn 6.0 credits through the Dual Diploma Program in English Language and Literature, American History, U.S. Government and Economics, and 2 electives from the fine and applied arts, social sciences, and STEM fields.
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Faculty and Resources
All students are matched with subject-certified and highly experienced instructors, all professionally licensed in the State of Florida and experts in ELL strategies and online instruction. In addition to being matched with fully-certified teachers, all students are provided access to a Single Sign-On (SSO) account that allows them to easily access all of their course materials, programs, and applications wherever in the world they may be. Parents and students alike can log in 24/7 to check their progress, grades, course updates, and pertinent announcements. They can also easily message teachers, program directors, and key stakeholders. Courses, like US Government, are visually appealing and interactive, ensuring students actively understand the most important concepts and themes. Where possible, courses are also supplemented with a great deal of educational games and activities to make the content come alive. Course information, syllabi, and reading material are clearly organized and available for student access at the click of a button. Videos and tutorials are included to help explain complex ideas and topics, such as Economics, and pique the interest of students. Teachers also work diligently to apply traditional course concepts to everyday life and student experiences, such as a discussion on violence in the media as related to free speech and governmental restrictions. Teachers are available through real-time one-on-one live sessions (at no extra cost!) to help students understand the material and be as successful as possible in their studies. Whether students complete the program in two, three, or four years, each graduate will earn a diploma in their home country and a fully accredited high school diploma (SACS CASI) from the USA.
English Immersion
Another major facet of the program is English language immersion, utilizing both traditional teaching methods and innovative 21st-century technology and techniques.
Burlington English
Burlington English is the premiere online English language learning platform, available to students for free as part of the Dual Diploma package. Burlington provides students with interactive activities, lessons, and practice to raise their level of English vocabulary and grammar to the next level of proficiency. By focusing on everyday English conversation and language utilization, the Burlington activities ensure that students are learning linguistic skills and techniques that are useful in real-world situations and not just in textbooks. Burlington provides a patented microchip headset microphone that uses voice recognition technology to differentiate each student's tutorials. By recording and analyzing the student's speech patterns, it can best serve to help a student master pronunciation and understandability…two key factors that often constrain an English language learner's confidence in speaking. The program helps teachers to track student learning gains in: pronunciation, understandability, comprehension, listening, spelling, and grammar…a holistic evaluation of a student's linguistic growth.
Collaborative Learning and Global Community-Building
Another major facet of the program is its focus on collaborative and project-based learning. Students have access to online whiteboard technology and live "virtual classrooms" where they can review important course material with teachers, discuss key themes with peers, and engage in group work across traditional geographical barriers. Students regularly take part in high-definition video conversations, group activities, and discussions in order to make the course material "come alive" and ensure that they apply what they are learning to their everyday lives experiences. The program also seeks to connect students with one another directly, giving them opportunities to communicate, practice their oral communication skills, and feel more of a part of a thriving social community.
AVE Amici Program
Through the AVE Amici program, DD students are paired with high-performing students in the United States. Over the course of the program, these students regularly meet to discuss everyday topics, to socialize in a secure setting (monitored by DD staff), and to build bonds that will extend far past their graduation dates. This program has been extremely popular with DD students, as they now have access to practice their English in real-time settings with native speakers and to connect with and cultivate relationships with students in the US from extremely diverse backgrounds.
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21st-Century Skills
In addition to the academic and English-language learning objectives, AIS also seeks to build a thriving social network that promotes a love of education, lifelong learning, global relationship-building, teamwork, and collaboration across cultural barriers, all essential skills for the 21st-century marketplace. Some of the highest-achieving students in US schools are invited to take part in the AVE Ambassador Program. They earn a 30-hour certificate that allows them to become peer mentors. These student leaders assist Dual Diploma students with their academics, help to motivate them to the highest levels of success, and work to connect them with students taking the program in other countries as well. Experienced DD Students can also become Program Leaders, earning special recognition at graduation, where they mentor younger students in their home countries and share their experiences with those just starting out to help ensure maximum success. All DD students are granted access to Edmodo as well as AVE Horizon, both education-focused social networking sites, in which they can respond to course discussions, share their work and receive feedback, and ask any questions they may have of their teachers and peers. Students are rewarded and recognized by receiving digital badges for successfully completing work, collaborating on group projects, mentoring other students, and taking part in live discussions, and a wide variety of other commitments that contribute to their own personal and professional development. Students can also volunteer to take part in extracurricular clubs, such as the School Newspaper Club or Social Media Club, ensuring that they are not only academically successful but also well-rounded individuals.
College Counseling and Exchange Programs
For DD students interested in attending a college or university in the US, AIS also offers a number of services to help them actualize their dreams. Teachers and counselors are committed to providing all students with information about the US college admission process and all the insider-information they would need to make the best possible choice for themselves and their families. Students can enroll in coursework and receive additional tutoring to prepare them for US admissions exams like the SAT, ACT, or even TOEFL. Staff works closely with students to help them decide which institutions are the best fit and assist them with the arduous application process (writing and editing admissions essays, providing strong letters of recommendation, and ensuring that their applications are complete and highly competitive). For DD students who wish to get the fullest US high school experience, they can also join AIS in person in the US at one of its elite brick-and-mortar high schools. Students from various countries can enroll at a local Academica high school and be fully immersed in the culture, academics, and experiences of a typical American student.
Alumni Network
Once students graduate, they can continue to take part in specialized Alumni Network activities and events that take place throughout the world.
Personalization and Support
AIS aims to personalize the online learning experience for all students. The team of expert and dedicated teachers uses a variety of strategies to meet the needs of all learners. Ongoing dedication, support, and caring faculty set the school apart. AIS strives to create a family-style learning environment. After signing up with Academica International Studies, students can anticipate a comprehensive onboarding process tailored to meet their educational needs. They'll likely begin by creating an account, exploring the course catalog, and selecting the appropriate courses, whether it's for the Dual Diploma program or individual high school credits. The school promises a personalized learning experience, so students should expect to receive guidance on course selection and academic planning.
Innovative Instruction and Global Citizenship
AIS provides an educational environment where students develop exceptional technical skills that help shape them into multilingual, multicultural, and globally minded individuals. AIS serves thousands of students in the United States and around the world, and students become part of a life-changing international network. Academica International Studies (AIS) meets the needs of each student and prepares them for success in both college and their professional career. AIS provides an educational experience that promotes a sense of responsibility, dedication, and empowerment. Through innovative instructional methods which focus on higher ordered problem solving, students are challenged to think critically about complex concepts and learn to use analysis, evaluation, judgment, and creativity to solve every-day problems. AIS encourages a sense of local and global citizenship. Teachers prepare students to be ethical, principled, and innovative individuals. The mission is to ensure the creation of a learning environment which fosters student achievement, while providing a personalized learning experience for every student. AIS offers students across the US flexible, synchronous and asynchronous learning, and accommodates the many needs of students. AIS offers a variety of courses, ensuring all learners have access to quality courses and meet all school requirements across academic disciplines. AIS courses are NCAA and College Board approved.
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