Welcome

Arrival and dismissal times for the 2021–22 school year have not yet been solidified given the changing landscape around the COVID-19 pandemic. For the 2020–21 school year, we relied on a staggered model to avoid mixing of pods and to ensure the safety of all students and staff.

To give you a sense of our schedule by division, we are including arrival and dismissal times from the 2019–20 school year before the pandemic, and the 2020–21 school year during the pandemic.

Our hope for next year is to revert back to the typical length of the school day pre-COVID but we may still keep staggered arrival and dismissal times. We will continue to provide updates as the start of the school year draws near. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

2019–20 School Year (Pre-Pandemic)

Small World
8:15–11:15 a.m. and 11:45 a.m–2:45 p.m.

ELC
8:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Lower Division
8:15 a.m.–3:15 p.m.

Upper Division (Grades 6–8)
8:20 a.m.–3:50 p.m.

Upper Division (Grades 9–12)
8:30 a.m.–3:50 p.m.

2020–21 School Year (During Pandemic)

Staggered Arrival/Dismissal

Small World
Morning Session: 8:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
Afternoon Session: 12:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.

ELC

Nursery Chinese: 8:20 a.m. to 1:50 p.m.
Nursery Spanish: 8:50 a.m. to 2:20 p.m.
Pre-K Chinese: 8:20 a.m. to 1:50 p.m.
Pre-K Spanish: 8:50 a.m to 2:20 p.m.
Kindergarten Chinese: 8:20 a.m. to 1:50 p.m.
Kindergarten Spanish: 8:50 a.m. to 2:20 p.m.

Lower Division

Grades 1–5 Chinese: Arrival is 8:20–8:35 a.m. to 2:10 p.m.
Grades 1–5 Spanish: 8:35–8:50 a.m. to 2:25 p.m.

Upper Division

Middle Grades: 9:20–9:40 a.m. to 2:45–3:00 p.m.
Upper Grades: 9:40–10:00 a.m. to 3:00–3:15 p.m.

Update: August 20, 2021
Avenues has shared back-to-campus protocols and vaccine requirements in a message from director of operations and administration, Daniel Greenblatt. Please find the most up-to-date information here. Additional information regarding our re-opening in the fall of 2020 is shared below.

Multi-Layered Approach

Since our campus re-opened for in-person instruction in September of 2020, we have implemented a multi-layered approach to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 wherever possible. An outline of these layers, including limiting access to our buildings, mask-wearing, testing and more, can be found here. Additional details are below.

Health and Safety Overview

The below health and safety video was created over the summer of 2020 and includes the steps we continue to follow to ensure the health and safety of the entire Avenues New York community.

Avenues New York: 10 Things to Know for Reopening

Vaccination Information

Evidence is compelling that widespread vaccination is our clearest and best path toward achieving the goal of public health and normalcy. The COVID-19 vaccines have been proven safe and effective in preventing the spread of the coronavirus, and Avenues is committed to the health and safety of our campus community as well as being a partner in the public health of the community outside our campus walls.

To this end, Avenues will join other leading educational institutions in New York and across the country in requiring COVID-19 vaccines for all on-campus colleagues as well as students ages 16 and older for the start of the 2021–22 school year, subject to guidance that comes from public health authorities. Medical and religious exemptions will be accommodated absent any future legal changes that modify applicable exemptions.

The FDA recently approved emergency use authorization of the Pfizer vaccine for ages 12–15. We do anticipate expanding our vaccine requirement to include this age group sometime before the end of 2021, with exemptions available. When your child is eligible to be vaccinated, we encourage you to take them to do so as soon as possible.

You can find additional information here, including how/where to get vaccinated, deadlines for vaccinations, how to provide documentation of vaccination, how to apply for a religious or medical exemption and answers to other questions you may have.

Weekly Testing Program

Provided that conditions in New York City have not significantly improved by the start of the school year, Avenues New York will continue to conduct our weekly testing program each week to detect cases of COVID-19 on campus. We currently implement a regular, weekly routine of testing for all Avenues New York students, faculty and staff using an FDA-approved testing kit for COVID-19.

The test is a simple, non-invasive nasal swab (NOT the deep nasal swab) that is inserted just 1–2 cm inside the nostril so it is easy for our youngest students. Test samples are then sealed the test in the packaging provided and children bring their kit to school for drop-off during the arrival process. Results are processed over the weekend, and only positive results will be communicated.

It is important to note that testing is not, in and of itself, a sufficient strategy for protection; a layered defense is required. While surveillance/screening testing enhances our testing layer especially by increasing our ability to identify nonsymptomatic COVID-19 carriers, we want to avoid overconfidence and make sure we continue to implement all safety measures given the current level of community transmission.

Conditions for Campus Closure

We are proud that due to the efforts across our campus community, Avenues has remained open five days a week since September of 2020, without having to close due to the spread of COVID-19. We follow New York State and Department of Health guidelines as opposed to New York City Department of Education guidelines. Currently, we will remain open unless:

1. independent schools are ordered by the State to close or;
2. we reach a point where the positivity rate among our campus community is such that we are concerned about our ability to control transmission through quarantine of affected pods.

If we continue on this path of adhering to the multiple layers of mitigation we have in place, our hope is we can safely remain open.

Avenues is committed to fostering a positive and inclusive school environment in which everyone embraces and models our community values of Welcome, Safety and Respect. School leadership, faculty, staff, parents, students and partners are all essential parts of a safe community.

More detailed information about our protocols and procedures will be shared with families closer to the start of the school year. Should you have any questions, security can always be reached at 646-664-0992.

Access to the Building

All main exterior doors will be locked and secure at all times, except during morning arrival and afternoon dismissal. At this time, only students, faculty and staff are permitted on campus. When health and safety conditions allow and visitors are permitted on campus again, all visitors will be screened and identified while on campus. Each faculty, staff member (whether campus employee or partner organization), parent and Upper Division student is required to wear a lanyard with their ID badge while on the school property at all times. Wearing the lanyard will ensure that all students and colleagues on campus know that you are a safe adult and are part of our Avenues community.

School employees and partner staff will have black lanyards, parents will have white lanyards and when permissible, visitors will have a different colored lanyard for the day. Please note that all students in the Upper Division will need to carry their Avenues ID at all times, and are expected to badge in and out of the building.

Drop-off/Pick-up Procedures

All arriving students will be received and greeted during drop-off by Avenues staff and dismissed by Avenues staff in an organized process. Students who are picked up from campus will only be dismissed to a parent or authorized caregiver or pick-up person. Due to COVID-19, during the 2020–21 school year, pick-up and drop-off procedures occur at designated entrances of the school building and at staggered arrival and dismissal times. All areas related to drop-off and pick-up will be staffed for student safety as well as for pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Specific procedures will be developed for each type of vehicular drop-off—private vehicle, taxi or bus.

Emergency Planning/Response

Avenues New York will organize and maintain an incident management team led by the director of security and consisting of up to ten people employed by the school. Avenues New York will conduct safety training for all teachers and staff before the school year begins as required by section 2801-a of NYS Education Law. In addition, we will conduct safety drills as directed by the primary incident commander throughout the school year, including but not limited to fire and lockdown drills.

Communication

In the event of an emergency, Avenues New York will proactively communicate before, during and after with local and regional emergency personnel. Internal communication will occur through text message, email, as well as through two-way radios and over the emergency public address system; external communication to our families and caregivers will occur via texts, email, phone calls and messages posted on the school’s community portal, Avenues OPEN.

You are welcome to purchase clothes for your children that adhere to our style guide at retailers of your choosing. However, you are also welcome to purchase approved items with the school logo through Pure Cloth and Untold Horizons. Logoed items purchased through previous vendors (French Toast, Land’s End) are still permitted.

Shirts

Color: Solid colored white, gray or black
Sources: Any

• Solid colored white, black or gray shirt or blouse. Appropriate styles: collared, button-
• down, turtleneck, polo or loose-fitting t-shirt. No color at all, including cream, beige, silver.
• No sheer, see-through or off-the-shoulder tops; no revealing necklines, holes or tears.
• No bare midriff.
• No logo, or only with Avenues logo (available only through Lands’ End)
• Sleeveless summer blouses allowed. Shoulder straps must be at least five cm (two inches);
• no spaghetti straps.

Pants/Skirts

Color: Solid colored gray or black
Sources: Any

• Available from any source, as long as they are black or gray
• Skirts must be plain or pleated and may not be shorter than two inches above the knee;
• no stripes or patterns; no lace or tight knit
• Black athletic pants or shorts are permitted on PE days; no stripes
• Elastic-waist pants are allowed for children in ELC and Lower Division
• Leggings as pants are allowed for children in ELC and Lower Division

Jumpers / Dresses

Color: Solid colored white, gray or black
Sources: From Lands’ End uniform shop, French Toast, J. Crew or Pure Cloth

• Jumpers and dresses must be solid black or gray and from Lands’ End, French Toast, J. Crew or Pure Cloth only.

Shorts

Color: Solid colored gray or black
Sources: Any

• Non-athletic black or gray shorts; must be mid-thigh length or longer
• PE uniforms are required only for students in grades 6–12

Sweaters, Vests, etc.

Color: Solid colored white, gray or black
Sources: Any

• Solid color (black, gray or white) without a logo; Avenues vest, jacket, sweater, pullover or sweatshirt from Lands’ End (see below) or Pure Cloth

Accessories (Belts, ties,shoes, socks, tights, hair-bands, scarves, etc.).

Color: Any
Sources: Any

• No sneakers with heels, lights, wheels, studs, spikes, glitter or extraneous graphics
• No fishnet or lace tights
• No hats, tiaras or other headwear. Headbands are allowed.

Shoes

Color: Any
Sources: Any

• All ELC and Lower Division students must wear sneakers in school (no ballet flats, sandals, etc.). ELC children who cannot tie their own shoes must wear slip-ons or shoes with Velcro.
• Shoes must not have embellishments (studs, spikes, glitter, etc.)
• Students in N–5 must have boots for rainy or snowy weather

Outerwear, handbags, backpacks

Color: Any
Sources: Any

• Hats and coats are to be removed indoors

All clothing and accessories must conform to dress code guidelines, including:

• Clothing may not be overly tight fitting, short or revealing.
• No patterns or stripes are allowed on any shirts, pants, skirts, jumpers, shorts, sweaters or other tops.
• Monograms, and logos other than Avenues’ are not permitted on any clothing. Sequins are not appropriate on any article of clothing.
• All Avenues logoed apparel is permitted as long as it meets our color guidelines. It is available only from the Avenues page at Pure Cloth, Untold Horizons (shop coming soon), in the athletic office and S’cool, the Avenues store.

Our style guide builds a sense of belonging by making our students easily recognizable to each other and other members of our community. It also reinforces that school is a place for purposeful, active, and collaborative endeavor, and our students pledge to dress in accordance with these goals. Accordingly, students should not wear clothes that are excessively short, sheer or ripped. We also encourage students to avoid wearing excessively expensive items, which are not conducive to an inclusive and welcoming environment. We ask students to take pride in their appearance as representatives of the Avenues community. School administration, including deans, will address students, and their parents as necessary, when student clothing choices show a pattern of running counter to these guidelines.

Avenues faculty and staff will enforce the following style guide expectations:

Tops (Shirts, blouses, sweaters, hoodies, sweatshirts, vests, blazers, sport coats, jackets, dresses)

Color: Solid black, white or gray available from any source

• Any solid-color white, gray or black
• No logos, with the exception of discrete logos, typically no larger than a quarter
• No text, images, graphics or patterns
• Avenues designed clothing permitted
• Shirts should cover torsos (no bare midriff)

Bottoms (Pants, shorts, skirts, sweatpants, leggings, athletic pants, dresses)

Color: Solid black, white or gray available from any source

• Any solid-color white, gray or black
• No logos, with the exception of discrete logos, typically no larger than a quarter
• No text, images, graphics or patterns (white or black stripes running down the seams of pants permitted)
• Avenues designed clothing permitted

Coats, hats, backpacks, accessories(belts, ties, shoes, socks, tights, headbands, scarves, etc.)

Color: Any color

• Coats, hats and hoods may not be worn in classrooms
• No open-toe or open-heeled shoes (including sandals and flip-flops)
• No sneakers with lights or wheels

Wellness and Movement

Color: Black, white and gray

• Athletic shirt and athletic shorts, leggings or pants required
• Sneakers required

If you are unable to provide transportation or have your child walk to campus, the following transportation options are available to your family. Please note that for the 2021–22 school year, we anticipate offering both private bussing through Selby Transportation and free bussing through the Office of Pupil Transportation although no final decisions have been made. We will share more information as it is available, but high-level details on each of these options are included below for your reference.

Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT) Yellow Bus service

At Avenues, free yellow school busing service is provided to all students in kindergarten through 6th grade in public or private schools within the city limits. OPT is a service provided by the NYC Department of Education. Drivers and routes and not directly managed by Avenues. Eligibility for OPT bus service is determined by the distance between the student’s primary residence and their school.

Please note that 6th graders are only able to take OPT busing in the morning due to the later dismissal time of Upper Division students. We are not able to request additional OPT busing for afternoon 6th grade students, however, we are able to issue them MetroCards for afternoon use.

OPT works with each individual school to determine routes, stops and the appropriate number of students per bus. Bus stops are typically within .25 miles from your home and are centrally located within your neighborhood. Pick-up times range between 6:50–7:50 a.m.; drop-off times from 3:40–4:45 p.m. The city requires that routes last no longer than 90 minutes.

Selby Bus Corp. Private Bus Service

Selby is a private bus company that provides door-to-door pick-up and drop-off service at a cost to Avenues families. All Avenues students are eligible. Selby buses are equipped with GPS and car seats for nursery students.

Student MetroCard Provided by Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT)

Full-fare student MetroCards are available free of charge for children in grades K–12 who meet the eligibility requirement. The card allows students to ride subways AND city buses. Three rides per day are permitted Monday–Friday between 5:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m. Eligibility is determined by the distance between the child’s primary residence and their school:

• Grades K–12 must live 1/2 mile or more from school to qualify

If you would like to request a MetroCard, please email transportation-ny@avenues.org. Please include your contact info, your child’s name and your home address.

If you have any questions about transportation options, we would be happy to assist you. Please call 646-664-0861 or email transportation-ny@avenues.org.

Avenues: The World School recognizes the power of technology in the learning experience. We want technology to facilitate creativity, innovation, collaboration and communication among all our students, faculty and staff across the globe.

The technology team works in partnership with our entire community to ensure the success of the technology program. We value the leadership potential of all of our students and expect them to follow the same community norms of Welcome, Safety and Respect while responsibly navigating our digital tools and resources.

Below we have summarized some key points in our technology program.

Equipment

• Students in Small World through 5th grade are issued an iPad Air with all necessary accessories and AppleCare Protection.
• Students in grades 6–12 receive an iPad, an Apple Pencil and a MacBook Air with all necessary accessories and AppleCare Protection.

Storage/Backing up

• Students may store/save documents or other files on the equipment. However, students are responsible for backing up through Google Drive or other cloud-based software.
• In the event of loss of such documents or other files, the school’s responsibility is limited to reloading the school’s standard software suite on the equipment. Students are welcome to ask for assistance if they need help backing up.

Handling of Equipment

• The equipment may only be used in a careful and proper manner. The student shall keep the equipment in good operating condition.
• No personal stickers or writing are allowed on the equipment.
• All Macbook Airs and iPads must have a protective case at all times. A protective case is provided when the equipment is issued to the student.
• The equipment must be on school premises during each of the student’s normal school days. When a student is not using the equipment, the equipment must be secured in a locker, backpack or other locked and secure location. Equipment should not be stored on the floor or in places where it may be easily damaged or broken.
• The student is responsible for keeping their equipment charged and it is recommended that they bring their charger with them to school as needed. If equipment is taken home, students are responsible for charging the equipment at home before it is brought back to school.

Damaged/Lost/Stolen Equipment

• The student shall immediately notify the school’s technology department if the equipment is not in good operating condition, is determined to be lost or is in need of repair.
• Parents/Guardians will be responsible for paying any fees related to the loss of or damage to the iPad, Pencil and MacBook Air, chargers, cords and/or cases.
• Minor repairs for the iPad that are covered with AppleCare+ will be charged at the current AppleCare+ deductible rate.
• MacBook Air repairs that are not covered by AppleCare and/or warranty will be charged at the current Apple repair rates.

Please Note: In cases of misuse, abuse/loss of any device and/or its accessories, the parents/guardians will be financially responsible for the full cost of repair or replacement of the iPad/MacBook.

Grades 2–12 Optional Accident Protection Coverage: Parents of students in grades 2–12 are given the option to purchase a protection plan to cover the cost of replacing the iPad/MacBook Air if the damage qualifies for coverage based on the conditions listed in the insurance plan.

Use of Equipment: The primary use of the equipment by the student is for the student’s educational programs. The student/parent shall abide by the school’s Acceptable Use and Responsible Use policies.

Digital Citizenship

• Avenues has partnered with Common Sense Media as a part of their Supporter School Program.
• Throughout the school year, students will participate in digital citizenship activities and discussions. We encourage you to explore the Common Sense Media website, which contains a wealth of resources on the use of media and technology: Family Tips on Digital Life from Common Sense Media.
• Parents should discuss individual family values and expectations regarding technology use at home.

App/Software

• All students will be issued a school-managed Apple ID for the purposes of app deployment for school use only.
• Students, parents and guardians should not associate or link any credit card or gift cards to the school-managed Apple ID.
• Software that was not issued by the technology department but is found on a device will be removed.
• Personal, non-school-issued Apple IDs should not be applied to Avenues-issued devices.

Email

• Avenues is a Google G-Suite for Education institution. GSuite is a suite of tools used to communicate and collaborate among students and faculty.
• All students will be issued a school GSuite account limited to instructional and school-related activities only.
• Email accounts for ELC and Lower Division students are restricted for internal use only. They will not be able to send or receive emails outside of the Avenues domain.
• Middle and upper grades students are able to receive and send emails outside of the Avenues domain.

Teams and programs

After a year of mostly virtual athletics given the COVID-19 pandemic, we are planning two scenarios to safely offer an in-person athletic experience for the 2021–22 school year, both of which are outlined below. We are hopeful that we will soon be able to return to pre-COVID conditions, but as of this writing, it is still too early to determine which experience we will be able to provide our students. We are happy to report, however, that this spring, we are currently offering a hybrid program of in-person athletics for non-contact girls lacrosse, tennis and golf and will continue to find innovative ways to bring our athletes together for bonding, healthy competition, good sportsmanship and fun.

OPTION A: Interscholastic Experience

Since year one, Avenues has had a very robust inter-scholastic program, offering 33 teams for students in grades 7–12. In the event that COVID-19 protocols allow our athletic leagues to return to normal and compete, we will be participating in athletic competition next school year. This entails competing in league or non-league games against other schools, including some, or all of the sports listed below.

Interscholastic Competition Season Dates:

• Fall: August 23*–October 29, 2021
• Winter: October 3, 2021–February 18, 2022
• Spring: February 21, 2022 –May 19, 2022

*If we are competing, we expect students trying out for Junior Varsity or Varsity teams to arrive for tryouts two weeks earlier than the start of school. Athletes trying out for a 7/8 team would arrive one week earlier on August 30.

OPTION B: Intramural Experience

In the event that we cannot have interscholastic competition next year, we have a plan in place to safely offer a robust intramural program for students in grades 6–12, offering a variety of sports for students to choose from. We will have skilled-based practices with an opportunity for competition among Avenues students only. Sports will include some—but not all—of the sports we offer in an inter-scholastic setting (see below).

Intramural Dates

• Fall: September 13th –October 29, 2021
• Winter: November 8, 2021–February 18, 2022
• Spring: February 28 –May 20, 2022

Sports we have offered in the past:

• Basketball
• Soccer
• Volleyball (girls only)
• Tennis
• Squash (UG only)
• Fencing
• Crew (UG only)
• Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field
• Girls Lacrosse
• Cross Country
• Baseball
• Golf (UG only)

Additional Athletic Opportunities

In addition to our school sports teams, we have additional athletic programs that occur before school or on Saturdays. These programs include a morning workout program, basketball clinics, mini-tennis, volleyball and lacrosse. More details about these clinics and programs will be shared at a later date.

Extended learning creates new opportunities for our students and community to connect, share and grow beyond the classroom while fulfilling the core mission of Avenues.

AFTER SCHOOL

Open to all grades

The Avenues after school program is committed to providing the highest quality outside-of-classroom education for students in all divisions. The curriculum incorporates each child’s age and developmental level, individual needs, interests and culture. The after-school faculty and staff create an environment that is safe, nurturing and conducive to each student’s cognitive, social, emotional and physical growth. Children are encouraged to explore the world around them and develop their interests while cultivating their academic and interpersonal growth through hands-on, cross-grade enrichment activities and fun and engaging experiences.

After school covers the below programs offered to students in nursery through grade 12, Monday through Friday between school dismissal and 6:00 p.m. Programs run on a semester-long basis with fall programs running from September to December and winter/spring programs running from January to June.

All programs listed below fall under the after school umbrella.

PlayLab is the general after school care for students in nursery through 2nd grade. PlayLab is offered Monday through Friday from dismissal to 6:00 p.m. Students can enroll for all or part of this time. PlayLab activities include art, sports, cooking, dramatic play, group games, outdoor play and homework help.

StudyLab is available Monday through Friday from dismissal to 6:00 p.m. for students in grades 2–5 and 6–8. After a healthy snack, students have the opportunity to work on their homework and prepare for upcoming assignments in a quiet, supportive setting.

Specialty Classes are offered by semester, one day per week to students in nursery through 12th grade. Classes cover a wide variety of topics, including dance, art, cooking, robotics and more, and costs vary from class to class. ELC and Lower Division classes run from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. (unless otherwise stated).

Some of our current specialty classes include:

Leagues is a branch of after school that oversees our non-athletic competitive teams. The Avenues Chess Team, FIRST Lego League, Jr. FIRST Lego League, Student Stock Market and Card Club (Poker) all fall within this division.

More information around our Fall 2021 programs or email extendedlearning-ny@avenues.org.

PRIVATE MUSIC LESSONS

Open to kindergarten–grade 12

Avenues is pleased to offer private instrument and voice study in a vibrant, supportive environment all year long. Our talented private music lesson faculty have attended prestigious music schools including Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, Sarah Lawrence College and Eastman School of Music. We currently offer the study of trumpet, saxophone, violin, guitar, flute, clarinet, piano, drums and voice. Private music lessons run for 28–30 weeks beginning the second week of September and ending the first week of June, with recitals in December and at the end of the year.

For more information, email musiclessons-ny@avenues.org.

SUMMER PROGRAMS

Open to rising nursery–grade 12

Designed and led by Avenues faculty, Summer@Avenues experiences range from pre-separation classes for toddlers to innovative language immersion camps for grade school. All of our programs are guided by the Avenues’ mission statement pledge to develop students who are “architects of lives that transcend the ordinary.”

Small Summer (Offered to incoming 2021–22 Small World students (age 2))

Exclusively offered for incoming Small World 2021–22 students, Small Summer provides a first school experience and introduces young campers to classroom life through music, art and hands-on activities. Small Summer teachers are ready to introduce young campers to the world of school! Note that per school policy, all arrivals and dismissal will be at the building entrance sidewalk. Parents and caregivers will not enter the school building with their children. Due to DOH regulations, students must turn two years old before the first day of their Small Summer program session.

All camp sessions are taught by Small World teachers and are held in our state-of-the-art learning center located at 536 West 26th Street, adjacent to The Highline in West Chelsea.

Immersion Camps (Nursery–5th grade)

Avenues’ unique style of language immersion works best when students are engaged by interesting, real-world content. That’s why our immersion camps in Spanish or Chinese are each built around kid-pleasing games, projects and activities.

Online Special Interest Classes (Nursery–5th grade)

Special Interest Classes cover a wide variety of experiences, including (but not limited to) dance, art, cooking, sports and more. Courses are created and delivered by Avenues teachers and our valued partners. All specialty classes will be delivered through Zoom.

To learn more about or register for our programs, click here, or email summer-ny@avenues.org

GLOBAL JOURNEYS

Global Journeys supports the Avenues mission of graduating students who are “at ease beyond their borders” and “truly proficient in a second language” by providing experiential learning opportunities in the U.S. and abroad. Programs allow students to experience the world from a new perspective, immerse themselves in another culture and further their language skills through authentic international community engagement. They are designed to be growth experiences, asking students to step outside of their comfort zones. Students build understanding, empathy and appreciation for the diversity of human experience on our planet.

Approach

A Global Journeys program is purposefully designed for sustained learning and reflection beyond the experience itself. Every program contains the following three features:

• Pre-program preparation and post-program integration
• Ties to grade-level learning outcomes and the Avenues World Elements
• Facilitation by Avenues instructors

2021–22 Programming

Due to COVID-19 and the uncertainty around international travel, we do not have concrete plans in place for a 2021–22 travel program. This year, we have moved many of our experiences online, allowing students to discover various facets of cultures and communities around the globe, including a Sustainable Farming in Bali program and a program on the role of food in Japanese culture.

Our hope is that we will be able to continue our in-person travel and learning experiences this coming school year. We are preparing a modest slate of both domestic and international programs as we continue to monitor global health developments and gauge what may be feasible. To give you a sense of opportunities that await, please see a list of previously offered programs below.

Lower Division

Spring

• Grade 5: New Orleans — Cultural Learning and Guided Restoration

Middle Grades

Spring Break

• China — 美 (Mei): a Journey of Appreciating Culture and Nature in Chengdu
• Argentina — Un Paseo por Patagonia

Open to Avenues New York students currently enrolled in the target language in grades 6–8

Minimester

• Puerto Rico — ¡Bonrinquen! Resilience, Recovery, Ritmo
• South Africa — Water, Water Everywhere? (Sustainable Management of Water Resources)

Open to Avenues New York students in grades 6–8

June

• The Netherlands — AmsterDAM, That’s Forward Thinking! (A Study of Eco Conscientiousness)

Open to Avenues New York students in grades 6–8

Upper Grades

Spring Break

• South Africa — Diplomacy and Design in Addressing Global Challenges
• India — Climate Change and Environmental Justice: South Asian Perspectives

Open to Avenues New York students in grades 9–12

Fifth Term

• China — GongFu: The Spiritual Path Made Physical
• Hawaii — Rising Tensions: Astronomy and Indigenous Rights
• Guatemala — Mayan Identity and Storytelling Through Digital Media*

Open to Avenues New York students in grades 9–12

*Included students from Avenues São Paulo