International Students
For Explo at St. Mark's students coming from other countries, we know that the trip from abroad is a big one, which is why it is so important to us that our international students have a successful (and fun) boarding experience with us.
VideoHow We Teach EnglishWeekend Trip Sampler
- Boston Science MuseumÂ
- Fenway Park + The Fens
- Mystic Aquarium
- Boston Duck Tours
- Basketball Hall of Fame
- Water Country
- Canobie Lake
- Blue Man Group + the Swan Boats
- Big Apple Circus
- Rock Climbing
- Red Sox Game
- Revolutionary Battlefields
- Cirque de Soliel
- Sky Ventures Simulated Sky Diving
Airport Pickup
We know that one of the big concerns about traveling so far from home is the transportation. Our staff meets students at Boston's Logan International Airport and escorts them to campus and helps them settle in. We have staff at the airport until we know we have the last student.
When it's time to return home at the end of the session, we take students to the airport and stay there until we're sure everyone is safe and in the air. We know you would not take chances with your children, and neither will we.
An International Adventure
What does Explo look like? An international program set on the campus of St. Mark's School. Bright students who can speak over 25 languages (and come from around the world and the U.S.) but who use English as the working language on campus. A community composed of innumerable backgrounds, customs, and beliefs — all of which are open for you to explore, debate, and add some views of your own.
America + the World
What is Explo like? You'll talk movies and friends from Califonia and Shanghai during a trip to Canobie Lake amusement park. You'll play wall ball with people from Boston, California, Turkey, and South Korea. You'll be in class with stuents from Texas, Chicago, Paris, and Venezuela. At Explo, we're experts at integrating our international students into the full program experience. So not only will you take classes with American students; you'll also live on the same residence halls, eat in the same dining halls, and hang out in the same quad as your American and international peers. All the while, you'll be learning the nuances, slang, customs, and habits of your new American and international friends.
Preparing For the Future
Students come to Explo for all sorts of reasons. Some hope to attend an American university or college some day. Others intend to apply to an American or British boarding school, or an international school in their home countries. Some students intend to continue their studies in their native language, but they nonetheless want to improve their educational and career opportunities by becoming comfortable in an English-based community. And for most international students who are already fluent in English, they just want to be part of a comunity where they can explore American culture and the world of people and ideas with enthusiastic teachers and classmates.
English + Academics
The working language of Explo at St. Mark's is English. To enroll in the program, students must be able to speak and understand English at an intermediate or higher level. To ensure that students will be able to participate in all aspects of the program — from academics to residential life to extracurricular activities — international students who do not attend a school with an English language based curriculum will need to schedule an interview with Explo so that we may assess English speaking abilities.
Once a student has submitted an application and deposit, we will contact the student's family about scheduling an interview. Regular academic courses and workshops at Explo at St. Mark's offer advanced English speakers a great language immersion experience because they are not lecture style, but instead are active and project based. Advanced English speakers choose from the full course offerings at Explo at St. Mark's.
ESOL Instruction
For intermediate-level speakers, Explo offers English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). The goal of this specialized course is to improve students' oral English and comprehension skills through hands-on projects, role-plays, and activities. In addition to one ESOL course, students take one additional course, which would be drawn from a selected group of our regular Explo at St. Mark's offerings. That course will be assigned once students arrive on campus so that we may conduct an in-person language assessment. Intermediate level speakers will also be able to choose from a select list of workshops.
English Language Needed For Different Explo Programs
Explo at St. Mark's students must be able to speak and understand English at an intermediate or higher level. (Intermediate-level students will be enrolled in an ESOL course.) Below is a chart showing the English levels needed to participate at our various Explo programs:
Students interested in enrolling in our Focus Programs, such as Explo ER or Explo Vet, must be fluent in English.
For students at the beginning of their study of English — Early English Language Learners — Explo offers Explo English.
