Cary Academy
World Language Program
The World Language Program at Cary Academy requires that all sophomores participate in an international exchange program. With the obvious intentions of improving the students’ language skills, the two week trip also intends to foster the personal growth of the students by broadening their perspective and world vision.
The Cary Academy exchange program is based upon reciprocal partnerships between the school and schools in Argentina, Austria, Chile, China and France. While abroad the students spend their time visiting a host school, attending classes, living with a host family, and experiencing daily life in the host community. In return, Cary Academy students and their families host groups of students from the partner schools for a home-stay experience in their own community.
By living with a host family, students come to see the world not only through their own cultural lens, but also through the cultural lens of the country that they are visiting. The result is a far broader perspective than could ever be achieved by touring alone.
Blended Learning Project
Blended learning is an educational concept that supports the idea that the best learning takes place in a variety of ways- online, in a classroom, independently and often on a student’s own timeframe. This philosophy has been adopted by Cary Academy as one of many ways to enhance the learning of their students. To that end, they have started the Blended Learning Project.
With the assistance of NC State’s Friday Institute of Educational Innovation, Cary Academy has developed a blended learning team, whose members have created courses that have shifted a significant percentage of the learning online using modules created by members of the team. Current offerings include physics, advanced environmental science, advanced English, anatomy and physiology, advanced calculus, architecture, and creative writing. The school has shared their learnings with other schools by hosting a blended conference in the fall of 2015 and through presentation at various regional, national, and international conferences. The school is also working in partnership with schools in India, Brazil, Australia, Argentina, South Carolina, and Florida on a shared, blended global leadership course that extends the potential of the platform.