Boarding community, dorms, residential life

The Pillars of Round Square

Athenian students build important cross-cultural skills for their futures in our global community and programs. On-campus the community and classroom includes international day and boarding students from nearly 20 countries. Far beyond the campus, most of our students participate in our extensive international experiences. Through Round Square, our students take part in: international exchange study, global conferences, and service projects outside the United States. March Term travel programs also take students and faculty on study-travel experiences around the world. An Athenian education encourages students to appreciate and respect different cultures, religions, and languages other than their own and understand themselves as genuinely global citizens. Few schools offer the international programs that Athenian students enjoy.

What is a Round Square School?

Round Square is an international consortium of like-minded schools that connect and collaborate to develop global competence, character, and confidence in students. Athenian is a founding member and upholds the six pillars of Round Square: internationalism, democracy, environmentalism, adventure, leadership, and service. The pillars are visible in every aspect of Athenian, starting with lessons about composting during sixth grade orientation and ending with speeches delivered by class-chosen speakers at graduation.

Athenian's participation in Round Square supports international experiences for the community. From conferences and service projects on six continents to exchange students from dozens of countries that come to Athenian, everyone has an opportunity to learn the importance of an international and multicultural perspective.

List of 4 items.

Conferences
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Every year, a Round Square member school hosts delegations of students and faculty at a five-day conference that explores a theme related to Round Square's Pillars. Conferences often involve homestays, a service project, cultural experiences, and outdoor adventure.
Exchange
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Through the Round Square network, students go on exchange to over 100 schools in 40 countries. Students on exchange often live with host families, which provide a window into the life of the country. We ask students to enter their new environment with an open mind, an open heart, and a spirit of adventure. Expected to play a full and active role in school life, Athenians represent their home school while soaking in their surroundings.

Exchange students coming to Athenian participate as full members of our community. Athenian families welcome exchange students from around the world into their homes, giving the whole family the opportunity to serve and connect.

You can learn more about Athenian students' experiences on exchange by reading the Student Exchange Blog.
March Term
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March Terms offer students the opportunity to experience a new place with their Athenian classmates. International March Terms retrace historical events, explore the beauties of the natural world, or take students on challenging outdoor adventures. Faculty build a content foundation upon which students' experiences flourish and grow.
Service Projects
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Service projects bring together students from different countries to learn about and serve a community. These projects are typically several weeks long over winter or summer break and incorporate service, outdoor adventure, and cultural exchanges. International service projects are run by Round Square school or other international service partners.

Cailin Plunkett '19

At Athenian, I'm taught to live actively, not passively. I critically inquire about the information I'm presented, I do not take claims at face value, and I work to become a global citizen who is informed about issues both local and global. I do not allow the world to push me along; I work to shape it for the better.