International boarding schools are incredibly unique in that they provide students with a well-rounded and personalized experience while also allowing them to explore the nuances of different cultures. At Leysin American School in Switzerland, we provide students with culturally enriching programs where they are challenged to think outside the box and are given the space to develop into citizens of the world. The unique nature of being both an international school and a boarding school creates independent and compassionate students that form strong bonds with one another and are often friends for life! We recently chatted with students in our community and asked them to share their favorite things about LAS and why they love studying at an international boarding school.
At LAS, we are proud to have over 50 nationalities represented on campus in our student, faculty, and staff populations. The majority of our students reflect that the community and international diversity at LAS are the highlights of their experience. With such a diverse and varied community in regard to culture, language, and ethnicity, our students are positively impacted by learning so much about different cultural nuances.
When they discussed the positive impact that the LAS community has had on them, students often mentioned how friendly and welcoming everyone was when they first arrived in our Alpine community at the start of the year. One student stated: “The friendships I have made here are the most important thing I have taken away from all my time at LAS. I have met people from across the world that I would not have normally met at home. I value this greatly and will carry it with me once I leave for university.” Another student stated, “The mix of cultures within the community and the welcoming environment allows for long-lasting relationships to be made.”
Other students commented on the curriculum at LAS and how subjects such as global politics keep them up to date on political events in the world. Many of our students will travel around the world for university, so learning about different cultures is vital for their futures. Integrating international topics into our curriculum allows our students to develop into citizens of the world by teaching them about the countries and cultures of their classmates.
Other subjects, such as Theory of Knowledge (TOK) within the IB Diploma further the international content of our curriculum by asking students to think critically about the knowledge they have. In a recent TOK lesson, students were asked to bring in objects from their home countries and discuss what these objects said about their culture. Integrating international perspectives and knowledge into our curriculum, in addition to our naturally diverse community and global family, give our students a well-rounded and informative experience at LAS.
At Leysin American School in Switzerland one of our three pillars is embracing a diverse Global Family with shared norms and traditions. After talking to the students about their favorite elements of LAS, it’s clear that students are feeling the positive impact of a culturally diverse population, academic curriculum, and extracurricular program within our community. Because of this, we will continue to seek new opportunities to learn about different cultures and strive to further involve our students in activities that allow them to develop their cultural awareness and transform into responsible citizens of the world.
