Exceptional Student Experiences

The Study intersects with communities more than ever to provide opportunities that allow for authentic critical thinking, as well as exceptional student experiences. The goal: a school-wide culture that promotes individual and global consciousness.

Some of The Study’s educational community partnerships are long term arrangements, while others are one-time events that have a lasting impact on the students. Our global experience in Nicaragua gives Senior School students opportunities to learn outside of the classroom, such as preparing classes to teach at our sister school in Diria, Nicaragua. Grade 6 students benefit from the expertise of parents who are physicians and come in to the school to help broaden the students’ knowledge as they prepare their final grade 6 science project. Our annual participation in the Parlement des jeunes gives Senior School students the opportunity to travel to Quebec City to see firsthand how our provincial government functions and to participate in a 3-day authentic parliamentary experience. Indeed, from robotics to Technovation to visits to Radio-Canada studios, there are so many opportunities for enriching experiences for all our students.

our sister school in nicaragua

The programme

The Nicaragua initiative began in 2009 when Sofia Essayan-Perez, a then grade 9 student, proposed that we adopt a sister school called the Diria Institute in a rural village in Diria, Nicaragua. Since then, our project has expanded to include 3 key elements: a scholarship program, a community service trip and annual school improvements. Along the way, this initiative has been awarded the Moulton Student Global Citizenship Grant and the Sparkfun Community Partnership grant.

Read our 2023 newsletter to learn more

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Nicaragua Scholarship Fund Giving Form

Nicaragua Scholarship Fund Giving Form

students' reflections

"My most impactful moment was when I talked to this little girl who was sad because we were leaving. I asked her if she thinks she is going to go to college and she shook her head. I then asked her if she was going to apply for the scholarship and she nodded. Her eyes were so big and bright, beaming with potential. I told her to study and work hard as she clung to every word I was saying. This scholarship is a beacon of hope for many of these girls. It made me realize that even though it is only awarded to one girl, the scholarship positively effects the entire community. Side note- This trip has been so rich in experiences and self-realizations, but it also allowed me to bond profusely with the other girls on this trip in an inexplicable way." Emily Sofin '19Read more student testimonials

scholarship winners

We offer a full scholarship to a graduating female student of the Diria Institute to go to university. The scholarship is for $5000 US and covers their 5-year undergraduate degree including tuition, transportation, books and lunches. Students at The Study are responsible to raise the funds needed to send these girls to school and to choose the recipient of the yearly scholarship award. A qualitative and quantitative approach is taken on 3 categories: grades, community service and degree of poverty. The applicants submit a written application and answer specific questions, which are then read by the student selection committee. We are very proud to say that since the inception of the scholarship program, we have had 12 graduates (3 doctors, 2 nurses, and other graduates in the fields of medicine, psychology, banking and finance). Currently we have 7 students that we are sponsoring.

Spotlight: 2021 scholarship recipients

SAMANTA PASTORA, MEDICINE (CLASS OF 2025)

Samanta has just completed her first year in medicine. While in high school, Samanta won the Diria High School-level, municipality-level, and regional-level “Best Student Competition” in 2020.

ESMERALDA JIRON, TEACHING/PEDAGOGY (CLASS OF 2025)Esmeralda just competed her first year of university. She is studying to become a teacher through the Pedagogy Program.

Community Service Trip

Our community service trip currently runs every two years. We traditionally bring 18 students and 4 teachers from The Study to our sister school. Our students teach at our sister school, meet all our scholarship winners and work in the community. By adopting a school this way, we have been very fortunate to witness the evolution of the school and the positive impact that we have been able to have on the community.

Annual School Upgrades

Each year, we pledge to improve some part of the school. The decision regarding what we will do is established by Study students, based on recommendations/requests that come from faculty and staff at the Diria Institute. Some of our initiatives have included: funding the building of a water tower, providing funds to build and furnish a science lab, providing the school with a class set of books for each subject matter taught, outfitting the school with technology, providing the school with musical instruments, sports equipment and providing the poorest students with shoes so that they can attend the school. In 2018, we established a vocational center whose goal is to teach a vocation to students who cannot otherwise afford a university education.

Amalia Liogas, Director of IT

This partnership is unique in that we have been able to see how the community has changed since the partnership began in 2010.

ivy league tour & student exchanges

Students in grades 10 & 11 have the opportunity to tour Ivy League Universities, all part of learning more about future educational possibilities. Students visit universities such as Harvard, MIT, Brown, Princeton and Yale and on each campus they often meet with Study alumnae. International student exchanges are also offered in Senior School, where girls experience student life in Australia, France and Britain and further develop a deeper understanding of foreign cultures.

Learn more about our student exchange programme and trips.