Vermont International Academy

Vermont International Academy operates a network of American curriculum high schools across China, primarily serving Chinese students seeking admission to colleges in the US. Since the launch of its first campus in 2012, VIA has made great strides – growing from a small start-up operation at a single site to an ever-growing network of six campuses across four cities. Along the way, VIA has gained the confidence and respect of parents, students, and influential members of the education community both in China and abroad. VIA's approach is innovative but still familiar and our campuses radiate the distinct, dynamic aura of a quality American high school while also maintaining many essential aspects of Chinese education. The VIA curriculum is based on the US Common Core standards but has been intentionally and systematically modified to meet the specific needs of Chinese students transitioning from traditional Chinese middle school into an international high school. Our math, science and social studies courses are mapped to universally recognized learning standards including the US Common Core, while our English courses draw from a wide variety of resources to meet the differentiated needs of our students. Teachers are encouraged to collaborate and create cross-disciplinary units, strengthening the holistic focus of the program and creating authentic opportunities for students to apply their learning to real-world problems. VIA has graduated a total of five cohorts of seniors from three different campuses and is on track to graduate another three cohorts in both 2018 and 2019. The strength of our graduates' performance at highly ranked US colleges has paved the way for future VIA students, as colleges have quickly recognized and gained confidence not only in the quality of VIA's academic program but also in our methods for promoting holistic readiness. Ongoing partnerships with a number of high schools and colleges across the United States provide VIA students with opportunities for a variety of academic and cultural exchange activities as well as other enrichment experiences outside the classroom. VIA is registered with the US College Board and in 2016-17, VIA's two Shanghai campuses offered a combined 17 sections of 12 different AP courses, all of which were verified and approved by the College Board's AP Course Audit program.