Set in beautiful Lugano, the TASIS Summer Programs in Switzerland offer intensive academic courses, an unparalleled performing arts program, thrilling outdoor adventures, advanced sports training, and engaging cultural excursions to students ranging in age from 4½–18. Below are five reasons why we believe there is no better place to spend your summer.
1. You will build lasting friendships with students from all over the world.
Above all else, the TASIS Summer Programs are about friendship. You will have the opportunity to make new friends from more than 60 nations while exploring some of the most beautiful and exciting areas in Europe, challenging yourself physically, and expanding your horizons in the classroom.
We asked many students what they love about coming to TASIS, and while they touched upon a number of themes in their answers, it was friendship that stood out among the rest. Have a look for yourself.
In the following video, students from our Middle School Program (ages 11–13) discuss how their counselors make them feel like TASIS is their home, how kind and accepting everyone is, and how quickly they are able to form friendships with students from all over the globe.
Here we offer a 360° look at six aspects of the TASIS Summer Programs, culminating with an emotional performance of the original TASIS song “Together.” Each session concludes with a performance of this song (and quite a few tears).
While many of our excursions throughout the summer are designed to push students physically or expose them to new cultural experiences, some are simply about spending quality time with friends in a pleasant environment off campus. The short video below takes a look at one of the local trips students in the Château des Enfants division (ages 4½–10) enjoyed in 2017.
2. You will discover the magic of Switzerland and Italy.
“We are blessed indeed, each and every one of us, to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world,” remarked the amazing M. Crist Fleming, who founded TASIS in 1956.
The magic begins on our campus. Perched on a hillside in sunny southern Switzerland with commanding views of snow-capped mountains, palm trees, and Lake Lugano, our ever-evolving global village comprises 25 buildings dating from the historic 17th-century Villa De Nobili to the state-of-the-art Campo Science Center. Enjoy a look from above.
Capitalizing on our location in the heart of Europe, our travel program will introduce you to majestic natural settings—from the Swiss Alps to the Italian lakes to the Mediterranean coast. You’ll also have ample opportunities to explore stunning Swiss and Italian cities, including Andermatt, Basel, Zermatt, Zurich, Florence, Milan, Rome, Siena, and Venice.
In the following video, students from the TASIS Summer Program (ages 14–18) effectively capture what we like to call “the magic of TASIS.”
We also offer a closer look at two of the signature cultural trips offered each summer: Rome and Venice.
Not to be overlooked is the breathtaking beauty of Lake Lugano, which can be reached from our campus in just five minutes. Situated between Lake Maggiore and Lake Como and flanked by Monte Brè to the east, Monte San Salvatore to the west, and Monte Generoso to the southeast, Lake Lugano’s 48.7 square kilometers of surface area provide a wide range of recreational opportunities for our students all summer long.
3. You’ll be pushed outside your comfort zone, and you will rise to the challenge.
There is no shortage of adventure opportunities at the TASIS Summer Programs. Whatever you wish to try—be it whitewater rafting, canyoning, kayaking, canoeing, waterskiing, windsurfing, sailing, paddleboarding, glacier hiking, ice climbing, rock climbing, zip-lining, or riding an alpine slide—we have you covered.
If you’re a sports enthusiast, you may choose to participate in our tennis or golf academies; in our Armani Junior Basketball Club, where coaches from the Olimpia Milan Armani Junior Program focus on physical strength and the elements of fitness necessary to improve player confidence and performance; or in our AC Milan Junior Camp, which offers you the exceptional opportunity to work on your skills with coaches from the renowned AC Milan Club.
4. You will learn new skills and develop your mind.
While our programs provide plenty of time to play and explore, most mornings are dedicated to traditional classroom learning with a first-rate team of dedicated educators. Among other options, you can take intensive courses in Italian, French, or English as an Additional Language; build an academic writing portfolio; prepare for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program; learn how to cook like an Italian; develop your own lean startup; and study robotics, science, graphic design, digital photography, architecture & design, fashion & textile design, or musical theater.
With our younger students, we focus on building confidence and nurturing curiosity about the world in a safe, family-like atmosphere. Small class sizes allow our caring team of educators to engage the children using songs, games, and hands-on activities that help make learning fun, and our international environment helps students develop an appreciation for other languages and cultures. Learn how the Château des Enfants program can transform a child.
5. You will grow as an artist.
The arts have played a central role at TASIS since its founding in 1956 by Mrs. Fleming, who believed “a love of literature, the arts, and the performing arts is the heart and soul of education.” Chairman of the Board Lynn Fleming Aeschliman has followed in her mother’s footsteps as the School’s greatest champion of the arts, and our Summer Programs are designed to build confidence and bring out the artist in every child.
While the performing arts have long been an integral part of the TASIS Summer Programs, it was the creation of the Dedicated Performing Arts Team (DPAT) in 2013 that pushed the program to new heights. This team of professional actors, musicians, dancers, and writers runs comprehensive musical theater courses for middle and high school students and performing arts workshops for younger students; prepares students of all ages for a variety of musical theater, drama, dance, and music performances (watch the 2017 performances here); showcases its own considerable talents with a staff talent show while providing students an opportunity to do the same; and offers cultural events that often bring leading professionals from the region to campus. See the magic of DPAT in action.
At the TASIS Summer Programs, you will hone your existing talents and discover new ones. Whether you want to star in an original musical, learn a new instrument, perform a modern dance, write your own script or song, paint a canvas of the campus, take the perfect photo, design a poster, create an architecture model, or design a clothing line, our devoted team of visual and performing arts professionals will help you achieve your goal.
Learn more about the TASIS Summer Programs (ages 4½–18)
- Explore the TASIS Summer Programs website (also includes information about outstanding TASIS Summer Programs in England, France, and Puerto Rico)
- Engage with an interactive viewbook (2018 version coming soon)
- Watch more videos
- See photo galleries
- Apply (the 2018 Summer Programs application season will open in October 2017)
Learn more about the TASIS Academic Year Programs (grades Pre-Kindergarten through Postgraduate)
