Living in New York and Jordan

“No matter the place we were...a factor that remained constant during the trip was people’s smiles."Martin Salvador, 2012

New York

While at Columbia University at the start and end of the program, students are housed on campus in University residence halls. Although dormitories are coeducational, students live in single-sex suites or single-sex sections of floors. Columbia's residence halls are made up of single- and double-occupancy rooms and have shared bathrooms and lounges. Meals are provided Monday through Friday at a buffet-style cafeteria.

Jordan

While in Jordan, the program is housed at King's Academy, in Manja, Jordan, outside of the capital city of Amman, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. King's Academy opened in fall 2007 and is the first co-educational boarding school in the Arab world. It was established by His Majesty King Abdullah II, who modeled the school after Deerfield Academy, the Massachusetts prep school that he attended in the late 1970s. The innovative environment and curriculum of King's Academy aims to support and reflect the history and culture of Jordan, to promote principles of peace and global citizenship, and to foster deep respect for and devotion to learning.

At King's Academy students live in single-sex dormitories on campus in single-occupancy rooms. Meals are provided in the dining hall. Experienced resident advisers who are from the United States and have worked for the Summer Program for High School Students in New York live in the residence halls with the students. Students enjoy access to King's Academy's beautiful grounds and spacious fitness center, which includes weight rooms, basketball courts, a swimming pool, and soccer fields. Classrooms and the library are media-ready, and the serene spiritual center is available for students 24 hours a day.
 

During field trips, students will dine in several fine restaurants, sampling a range of local cuisines. All meals in Jordan are covered by the program fee.

Jordan is a politically stable country that traditionally has had close relations with the United States and the United Kingdom. It is the center of a geographically and culturally diverse region, and home to some of the world's most important historical and religious sites.