Academics
Lower School

International Studies Program

By instilling global citizenship, Athens Academy is developing students who have the knowledge, skills, and empathy to become well-informed, productive members and leaders of their communities, whether at home or abroad.
Athens Academy’s long-standing liberal-arts based course of study has prepared our students for continued study and success in college and beyond. Now more than ever, the school’s emphasis on helping its students better understand the world they will inherit is woven throughout the curriculum, from Preschool to the twelfth grade. In the classroom, students are encouraged to broaden their perspectives through the exploration of the history, geography, economics, literature, religion, arts, language, and customs of societies worldwide.

Components of the International Studies program throughout the curriculum include:
  • Integration of international studies into most subjects at all grade levels
  • Study of world languages in Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools
  • Upper School international educational travel
  • Cultural exchanges with established partner schools
  • Virtual exchange and collaboration through classroom technology
  • Annual International Education Week guest lectures
  • Local and international community service learning activities
All officially-sponsored Athens Academy travel programs include academic credit. Pre-trip meetings and coursework prepare the students for traveling to the destination country. While traveling, students may chronicle their journey through a journal or blog. Upon return, the travelers have the opportunity to share their experiences with the school at large in assemblies, class presentations, or other post-trip reflections.  The types of trips may include a combination of the following:

List of 3 items.

  • Cultural/Language Immersion

    Educational tours that often include homestays or school visits to help students improve their language proficiency and understanding of a destination country’s culture.

  • Educational/Historical Trips

    Academic enrichment trips that extend the curriculum while allowing students to apply their classroom learning in real ways.

  • Service Learning

    Personally rewarding international travel that incorporates community service and global citizenship.

List of 1 members.

  • Photo of Russ Hovater

    Russ Hovater 

    International Studies Program Chair
    Samford University - B.S.
    Georgia State University - M.B.A.
    Emory University, Candler School of Theology - M.T.S.

Athens Academy

1281 Spartan Lane
Athens, Georgia 30606
Phone: 706.549.9225
Athens Academy is an independent, co-educational school for students in K3 through 12th grade, located on a beautiful 152-acre campus in Northeast Georgia. For over 50 years, Athens Academy has pursued its mission of Excellence with Honor through academics, athletics, fine arts, and service and leadership.