SYA Fund: Around the World in 30 Days

We are SO GRATEFUL to every SYAer who showed their support today, this month, and all year long! Through so many of the challenging circumstances of this year, our community has come through time and again to support each other, and the school we all love. Because of you, the SYA adventure will continue for the next class of SYAers and beyond!

Are you joining in after midnight? You can still contribute to the SYA Fund, helping us to start next year strong!

Thank you!!!

The SYA experience brings our alumni together in a way nothing else can. Whether in person, or now virtually, SYAers are keeping in touch. Even our inaugural Spain Class of ’65 still meets to catch up!

SYA faculty member Ángel Vilalta (SYA Spain 1964-1998) was our first non-U.S. hire and was critical to the creation and early success of SYA. He opened the eyes of his students by impressing upon them the fundamental importance of culture, in all its manifestations, in their lives. The passionate teaching and compelling lessons of all of SYA's amazing teachers remain in the hearts of each SYA alum throughout the years. 

“These experiences would not be possible without the support of SYA’s hard-working, dedicated teachers, such as Solé, Marta, Álvaro, and Marimar. They are the reason I am so honored to be this year’s Ángel Vilalta Scholar, which is in honor of SYA Spain’s legendary teacher. Through the support and encouragement of my teachers at SYA, I gained confidence in myself and my ability to take on unfamiliar challenges.”  - Ava R. ES'20, Ángel Vilalta Scholar

Although the pandemic brought this year’s SYA experience to an early end, our resilient students pivoted to remote learning and finished out the year on a high note.

Pictured: 

1) SYA Spain art teacher Sole Gutiérrez and her students discuss Dadaismo during an online class. Students had to create a ready-made work of art at home, and took turns guessing what each artist was trying to say before the artist explained his or her work.

2) Lillian P. IT’20 and her host family had dinner “together” on Zoom. To meld culinary traditions, they cooked the same menu of quesadillas con pollo and quesadillas con Nutella.

3) SYA France students David G., Chandler V. and Annika M. shared photos of their remote workspaces and their view. Can you see what all three have in common?

Several decades apart, but SYA is not unaccustomed to making the news!

Pictured: 

March 2020: SYA France students are interviewed by French TV channel M6 as they prepare to fly home due to the pandemic.

September 1971: Ouest-France, Rennes’ local newspaper, ran this photo with the French headline “Sixty American Students in Rennes for a Year.” 

“I can still remember the day we were told we would have to leave Italy within the next few days like it was yesterday. It was a moment I will probably remember for the rest of my life, but when I think about it, it isn’t the sadness or shock that left a lasting impression on me. It was the sense of community. The way that hearing those words and knowing what they meant for us led us closer together, knowing that this year would come to an end early, is a feeling that I won’t forget.” - Frances L. IT'20, Alvarez Global Scholar

Our very own School Operations Manager Samantha Gammons CN’01 shares why she loves and supports SYA. Share your own personal plea below under “Tell My Story!”

Who says you can’t go back home? Many SYA alums make it a point to return to SYA campuses for a visit!

Pictured: 

1) Margo L. ES‘98 returned to campus with her family. She spoke with students about the impact SYA has had on her life and the important work she does now as the Director of clinical programs at Northeastern University School of Law. 

2 ) Liza G. FR’08 returns to Rennes to pay a visit to Pascal Monteville. She is pursuing a doctorate in French Lit at the University of Texas, Austin. 

3) Emma M. IT'07 spent a weekend with her host family in November. She is the only student to bring home a dog, which she named Pasha!

Attention SYA Young Alumni! Did you know we’re running a special challenge and sweepstakes this year just for you?

Four SYA Campuses. 3,394 Young Alumni. Unlimited impact.

We’re asking SYA’s alumni from 2005-2019 to support the SYA experience by each country reaching 10% participation in the SYA Fund. SYA Fund gifts of all amounts provide the unrestricted, flexible funding to ensure SYA can meet the unique needs of our students and faculty. Going forward, the SYA Fund will be especially important as we face economic uncertainty and must plan accordingly to keep our community together through need-based financial aid.

Someday . . . when it's okay . . .Fly Away with SYA!

Also exclusively for young alums: a donation to the SYA Fund will count as an entry to this year’s Fly Away with SYA Sweepstakes with a chance to win a $1,000 flight voucher once it’s safe to travel again!

Follow along (and see more details) on your country’s page!

China

France

Italy

Spain

Pictured: A group of students at the “flea market” in Clignancourt, Paris; SYA France students visit the Hall of Mirrors and the gardens at Versaille; Serena W. and Imani H. learn about sea life at the Aquarium in San Sebastián; SYA Spain visits Bilbao 

Ask any SYAer and they will tell you that road trips and excursions were the highlight of their year abroad!   

Pictured: “De la pomme au cidre” (from apple to cider). SYA France students learn the traditional method of making Breton cider from start to finish; "I touched cheese!" SYA Italy students Sadie H., Priya M. and Anna P. help remove 'primo sale cacciotta mista' from their forms and place them in a cheese house for aging; Forget Augustus Gloop! SYA France students got their hands dirty at a local chocolate factory. 

There’s nothing more hands-on than learning about and creating the traditional foods from SYA host countries!

Pictured: Painting a Gauguin in Contemporary Art class with Paco Simon, a local artist; An SYA Spain student puts the finishing touches on her sketch; SYA Spain’s theatre class put on a holiday production for their families; an SYA China student performs at a welcome concert.

Extra-curriculars make the SYA experience richer. From drums to drawing to dance, students love to share their many talents while abroad.

Getting to know some local students and experience a classroom different to their own, SYA China students spent a day at Datong High School last fall, which is attached to Beijing Normal University. They attended class with students, played soccer, and attended a welcome party!

The backbone of the SYA experience is our network of amazing host families. Whether in the kitchen, on the road, or just hanging out together, SYAers are welcomed by their host families with open arms. Pictured above are some of this year's SYA Spain students out and about with their host families! Do you have a favorite memory with your host family?

Woohoo! This just in: an SYA Enthusiast (we love those!) will give $25 for every donation to the SYA Fund (up to 400 donations, or $10,000). That means not only does each and every gift make a difference to SYA and its students, making a gift now also increases your impact!

Though far from home for the holidays, SYA students gather with their host families, and each other, to share in new and old traditions.

Each year, there are incredible students for which the SYA experience simply wouldn't be possible without the generous support of our alumni, parents and friends. Thank you for helping to open students' eyes to the world!

Going forward, this support will be especially important as we face economic uncertainty and evolve to keep our community together through need-based financial aid, innovative curriculum development and advanced technology infrastructure.

While abroad, SYA students are encouraged to explore their new surroundings in a variety of ways. Pictured above, SYA Spain students explore the Donostia-San Sebastian countryside by bicycle, and Jonei E. ES’20 discovers the culinary side of Segovia by sampling some local pastry during a walk around town.

The SYA orientation process for students involves navigating their way around a foreign city. SYA Italy students, as part of an orientation activity in Bologna, find an arrow in the ceiling from the 16th Century.

Pictured left: Annika M. FR’20 takes notes during the demonstration held in Rennes in December. 

Pictured right: Aleka G. FR’20 prepares a mock slogan and sign like those she and her classmates observed while attending an earlier protest. 

SYA France students had a front row seat to last December’s “la grève nationale” (national strike), protesting President Macron's controversial pension plans. Participating from the sidelines, Students observed the mechanisms and cultural traditions of a demonstration in France. 

When reflecting on the experience in a News-Decoder article, Claire Wang FR’20 wrote: “I thought yellow vest protesters in France were a uniform group of angry radicals. But I talked to citizens and discovered it's much more complicated.”

Volunteering time in the local community is vital to the SYA experience, another great way to immerse in the culture of the host country, and a chance to practice new language skills on in the field! In the photos above, SYA Spain students volunteered at supermarkets in Zaragoza to collect for the local food bank.

Pictured: SYA Italy demonstrates some work outside of the classroom: analyzing grapes at a local vineyard, joining in a global climate strike, visiting the Musée des Beaux Arts in Quimper and on the first day of the "Italia In Un Piatto" cooking class.

Many of SYA courses involves a fieldwork element designed to challenge students in the broader community. This gets students out of the classroom each week to see put the skills they are learning into action, and requires active engagement in the local culture!

Pictured: SYA Spain students hiked in the Blanco River Canyon, SYA China students hiked to Sledge Hammer Peak, SYA Italy students walked the 10K Via Francigena, SYA France students hiked Ménez-Hom

Hiking is a favorite SYA pastime, and our students regularly go on hikes to explore their surroundings and get some exercise!

Pictured: SYA Spain students participate in the Fiestas del Pilar; SYA France students cross the bay at Mont Saint-Michel with their host siblings; SYA Italy students witness the transport of La Macchina di Santa Rosa; SYA China students participate in a field day with the students of Middle School #2

Each culture and school has its own traditions, festivals and special events. Students are encouraged to learn about these from their host families and peers, and fully participate.

We live in an increasingly interdependent world. Central to the SYA experience is learning empathy and understanding by engaging with different languages, cultures and peoples.

Pictured: SYA China students visiting Tiananmen Square, SYA Spain students exploring Zaragoza by kayak and learning how the International Exposition 2008 changed the city, SYA Italy students being led by Resident Director Pat Scanlon, SYA France students at place du Parlement

Educational travel is an important aspect of the SYA experience. But before going too far, students are encouraged to get to know their local cities first.  

Why do YOU support SYA? Share with us or use this print-out and post on social with #SYA30Days!

Pictured clockwise: SYA China students meeting faculty on their first day, SYA Italy students getting to know each other, SYA France students arrive to Villa Alvarez, SYA Spain students’ first day in Zaragoza

One of the biggest highlights of the year is always the first week of arriving in country and getting to know each other! This year, in addition to the usual orientation activities, students engaged in a multi-week intensive immersion unit designed to help students get to know their host families, their new cities and the language and culture.  

Welcome to Day 1 of SYA’s Around the World in 30 Days! Each and every SYA student departs on a special journey when they leave home and head for their SYA campus. Do you remember the beginning of your SYA journey, or your child’s SYA journey? 

This month, we’re taking you on a virtual adventure across our four campuses (and beyond) to help you relive and experience the magic of SYA, even if we can’t be in-person at our campuses right now. Strap in and get ready – we're glad you're joining us! 

Remember to: 

• Make a gift to the SYA Fund to support our student and faculty before June 30.
• Join us back here for updates, activities and progress throughout the month.
• Share #SYA30Days with your SYA friends and family!