The Impact of International School Partnerships
Visitation Academy’s Middle School Principal, Angie Jung, and Academic Dean, Joe Morrow, represented Viz at the Institute for Global Learning (IGL) Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, where they presented on the powerful impact of international school partnerships. Their session highlighted the school’s growing collaboration with Thornton College in London and the meaningful ways these global connections are shaping student learning and development.
Middle school students are naturally curious about the world beyond their communities. International partnerships tap into that curiosity by connecting them with peers abroad, helping them move beyond stereotypes, ask deeper questions, and build empathy through real conversations. These collaborations also strengthen communication skills and give academic work greater purpose through shared, cross-cultural projects.
Viz’s partnership with Thornton College—a Catholic, all-girls school outside London—began last year and has already led to meaningful cross-curricular work in art, English, French, and computer science. A particularly impactful aspect of the partnership has been the collaboration between students in our Well-Being Ambassador program. After introducing the initiative at Viz to Thornton College, the school adopted a similar program, creating an opportunity for students to connect regularly via Zoom throughout the school year. Together, students discuss challenges facing their peers, exchange ideas for promoting positive well-being, and build relationships through cultural sharing.
These connections extend beyond the virtual classroom. Last summer, 12 Viz middle school students traveled to London to visit Thornton College and experience firsthand the culture and community of their partner school. Building on that success, 15 students will make the trip again this summer, continuing to deepen these global relationships.
As Jung and Morrow emphasized in their presentation, even small partnerships can grow into transformative experiences—broadening perspectives and preparing students to thrive in a global community.
Visitation Academy is an independent, private Catholic school offering a coeducational Montessori preschool and Kindergarten program, the area's only all-girl elementary program for Grades 1-5, and an all-girl middle school and all-girl high school.
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