THE INTERSCHOOL PROGRAM
The eight schools that make up the Interschool consortium are Brearley, Browning, Chapin, Collegiate, Dalton, Nightingale-Bamford, Spence and Trinity. The Interschool Program sponsors various events for Middle and Upper School students in participating schools, including an accelerated math class, choral festivals, poetry readings, theatrical productions, and meetings for student leaders.
OVERSEAS AND DOMESTIC STUDY PROGRAM
Spence offers foreign and domestic study programs to Upper School students. These programs provide students with a wider range of experience in learning and the opportunity to meet and work with students from other schools. A student may choose to attend one study program in the course of her years at Spence. Spence financial aid does not transfer over to the programs listed below.
PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED STATES
Spence juniors may elect to spend one term at the Mountain School or The Maine Coast Semester. Applications for the programs are available in the winter of sophomore year.
In these programs, grade 11 students from schools all over the country have the opportunity to pursue their studies in a significantly different living and learning environment. Juniors may attend these co-ed programs, compatible with Spence’s curriculum, in either the fall or winter/spring semester.
The Mountain School
The Mountain School (affiliated with Milton Academy) is housed on a 300-acre farm in Vershire, Vermont. Students are expected to join in the daily farm chores while pursuing academic studies that emphasize environmental consciousness.
The Maine Coast Semester
The Maine Coast Semester, located on the Chewonki peninsula in Maine, emphasizes the role of the ocean and the environment as realized in a maritime setting.
PROGRAMS ABROAD
The Foreign Studies Program
The Foreign Studies Program is designed to give students the opportunity to experience another culture and to improve their proficiency in a studied language. The Modern and Classical Language Department encourages study abroad and works with third-party organizations to support students with their academic programs in other countries.
The Island School
The Island School is located in Cape Eleuthera in the Bahamas. The program is open to students in grades 10 and 11 and focuses on a semester-long exploration of the tropical marine environment, outdoor education and participation in an active community outreach program.
School Year Abroad (SYA)
School Year Abroad sponsors yearlong programs in China, France, Italy and Spain and is open to students in grades 11 and 12. Sponsored by a consortium of top independent schools, SYA accepts students from public and private schools across the United States.
Swiss Semester
Swiss Semester is open to tenth grade students during the fall term and the first few weeks of the winter term. Students study in a small, co-ed English-speaking program in Zermatt with students from other independent schools in the United States.