History

Key Moments

• On September 9, 1964, 11 boys traveled aboard the MS Aurelia bound for Barcelona with math teacher Ted Hammond (Phillips Academy, Andover, MA). Founder and Resident Director Clark A. Vaughan and Co-Founder Daniel Olivier (English teacher) arrived early to welcome the group.
• The Instituto de Estudios Norteamericanos is the location of SYA's first school.
• Ángel  Vilalta, a lawyer in Barcelona, becomes the first local hire for SYA Spain. He was the first host family coordinator and taught art history until his retirement in 1998.
• In the summer of 1965, Olivier heads to Rennes, France, to meet with Adjunct Mayor Victor Janton, president of L’Institut Franco-Américain, and chooses the site for the next campus, SYA France. 
• In 1965, Phillips Exeter Academy (NH) becomes co-sponsor of Schoolboys Abroad.
• In September 1967, 42 boys sail to Rennes, France with Resident Director Harris Thomas, math teacher Crayton Bedford and English teacher Len Stevens.
• In 1968, St. Paul's School (NH) becomes Schoolboys Abroad's third sponsor. 

Leadership in the 1960s

Executive Director: 
1964–1972   Colonel Edward Harris (Phillips Academy)

SYA Spain Resident Directors:
1964–1968   Clark A. Vaughan (Wilbraham Academy)
1968–1971   John Tomlinson (Phillips Academy)

SYA France Resident Director:
1967–1971   Harris Thomas (Phillips Exeter Academy)

Key Moments

• In 1970 Schoolboys Abroad changes its name to School Year Abroad when the first girls arrive at SYA Spain.
• In 1971 SYA France becomes co-ed.
• SYA Germany opens in Langenhagen in 1971 as an exploratory program with Resident Director George Smith and 17 students.
• In 1973 SYA Spain moves from the Instituto de Estudios Norteamericanos to its own space on Rambla de Cataluña.
• In 1974, the third and final year of SYA Germany, Resident Director Joseph Wennik and eight students head to Göttingen.
• On September 17, 1975 SYA files its Articles of Organizations to become a fully independent institution.
• On January 20, 1977, SYA is officially recognized as a non-profit 501(c)3.

Leadership in the 1970s

Executive Directors: 
1964–1972   Colonel Edward Harris (Phillips Academy)
1972–1973   Daniel Olivier (Phillips Academy)
1973–1974   Robert Thomason (Phillips Academy)
1974–1976   Crayton Bedford (Phillips Academy) 
1976–1986   Harrison McCann (Northfield Mount Hermon)

SYA Spain Resident Directors:
1971–1986   Edward Sainati (Phillips Exeter Academy)

SYA France Resident Directors:
1967–1971  Harris Thomas (Phillips Exeter Academy)
1971–1974   Crayton Bedford (Phillips Academy)
1974–1977   Georges Krivobok (Phillips Academy)
1977–1980   Daniel Olivier (Phillips Academy)

SYA Germany Resident Directors
1971–1973    George Smith (St. Paul’s School)
1974–1975    Joseph Wennik (Phillips Academy)

Key Moments

• In 1980 Woodruff (Woody) W. Halsey II begins his 31-year tenure, first as Resident Director of SYA France.
• During the summer of 1981, SYA France moves from L’Institut Franco-Américain to its current home, Villa Alvarez.
• In 1986 Woody Halsey is named Executive Director of SYA.
• In 1989 SYA celebrates its 25th anniversary with an all-class reunion in Washington, D.C. All 11 members of the Class of ES’65 are together again with founder Clark Vaughan and SYA Spain faculty member Ángel Vilalta.

Leadership in the 1980s

Executive Directors: 
1976–1986   Harrison McCann (Northfield Mount Hermon)
1986–1989   Woodruff W. Halsey II (St. Paul’s School)

SYA Spain Resident Directors:
1971–1986   Edward Sainati (Phillips Exeter Academy)
1986–1989   Harrison McCann (Phillips Academy)
1989–1990   Charles Whitehead (Sidwell Friends School)

SYA France Resident Directors:
1980–1986   Woodruff W. Halsey II (St. Paul’s School)
1986–1991   André Vernet (Phillips Exeter Academy)

Key Moments

• During the summer of 1991, Woody Halsey travels to Beijing with Phillips Academy faculty to explore possibilities for SYA China.
• In 1992 Francesca Piana becomes the first female Resident Director of SYA Spain.
• SYA China opens a semester program in 1994 with Resident Director Charles Miller, Assistant Director Gillian Recesso and 18 students.
• In 1998 Ángel Vilalta, SYA’s most senior teacher, retires after 34 years with SYA. A two-day celebration in his honor is held in Barcelona in April.
• In the summer of 1998,  SYA Spain moves from Barcelona to Zaragoza, the capital of the Aragón region.

Leadership in the 1990s

Executive Directors: 
1989–1990   Harrison McCann (Phillips Academy)
1990–2007   Woodruff W. Halsey II

SYA Spain Resident Directors:
1990–1992   Harrison McCann (Phillips Academy)
1992–1997   Francesca Piana (Phillips Academy)
1997–2002  John Rosen (Milton Academy)

SYA France Resident Directors:
1986–1991   André Vernet (Phillips Exeter Academy)
1991–2000   Geoffrey Bird (The Thacher School)

SYA China Resident Directors:
1994–1995   Charles Miller (American School in Japan);
                     Assistant Director Gillian Recesso Struthers
1995–1996   Thomas Trethaway (The Hotchkiss School)
1996–1999   John McLoughlin (Boston College High School)

Key Moments

• In 2001 SYA Italy opens in Viterbo with Resident Director Jeffrey Bradley (St. Paul’s School) and 47 students.
• In 2005, The Board of Trustees welcomes its first non-school heads.
• SYA Summer China opens in Beijing in 2006.
• In 2007, Executive Director Woody Halsey named SYA’s first President.
• In 2007, SYA dedicates Villa Alvarez, a permanent home in Rennes for SYA France, after raising $1.3 million from alumni and parents.
• SYA Summer France opens in Rennes in 2008.
• SYA opens a semester-long experimental program in India in 2008 with Resident Director Phil Billings and 25 students.
• Following the sustainable development curriculum set in SYA India, SYA Vietnam opens in 2009 as an exploratory program in Hanoi with Peter Esty FR'77F IT'05RD as Resident Director with 16 students.

Leadership in the 2000s

President:
2007–2011   Woodruff W. Halsey II

Executive Directors: 
1990–2007   Woodruff W. Halsey II
2007–2014   Nelson K. Chase

SYA Spain Resident Directors:
1997–2002  John Rosen (Milton Academy)
2002–2011   Griffin Morse (Milton Academy)

SYA France Resident Directors:
2000–2007    Donald Austin (Collegiate School)
2007–2017    Denis Brochu (Phillips Exeter Academy

SYA China Resident Directors:
1999–2006    Jeffrey Bissell (Marquette University)
2006–2007    Hope Staab (Interim; Punahou School)
2008–2010    Jeffrey Bissell

SYA Italy Resident Directors:
2001–2004   Jeffrey Bradley (St. Paul’s School)
2004–2005   Peter Esty (Greens Farms School
2005–2015   Patrick Scanlon (Albuquerque Academy)

SYA India Resident Director:
2008–2009    Philip Billings (Anglican International School)

SYA Vietnam Resident Director:
2009–2010    Peter Esty

• SYA Summer Spain opens in Zaragoza in 2010.
• SYA opens an exploratory program in 2010 in Ichinomiya, Japan, with Resident Director Mika Fukutomi and 25 students.
• In 2011, Woody Halsey retires after 31 years with SYA. After an international search the Board of Trustees appoints John E. Creeden as SYA’s second president.
• In 2011 SYA’s first named scholarship endowment fund, The Halsey Fund, is established with a lead $1 million gift and generous support from SYA alumni and parents.
• SYA Summer Italy opens in Viterbo in 2011.
• In 2012, SYA dedicates Casa Foster 64, a permanent home for SYA Spain in Zaragoza after raising over $2.5 million from alumni and parents.
• In March 2014, SYA China celebrates its 20-year anniversary in Beijing. First Lady Michelle Obama visits SYA during her inaugural visit to China.
• Eileen Kelly-Aguirre appointed as SYA’s first female Executive Director in 2014.
• In 2015 SYA celebrates 50 years of inspiring 7,500 global thinkers with a multi-day event in Boston.
• In 2015, Thomas E. Hassan, former principal of Phillips Exeter Academy, is named the third president of SYA.
• In 2017, SYA France celebrates its 50th anniversary with a three-day celebration in Rennes welcoming more than 450 guests.

Leadership in the 2010s

President:
2007–2011   Woodruff W. Halsey II
2011–2016   John E. Creeden
2016–          Thomas E. Hassan

Executive Directors: 
2007–2014   Nelson K. Chase
2014–2017   Eileen Kelly-Aguirre (The Gunnery)

Head of Schools and Programs:
2017–2020   Aric Visser (School Year Abroad)

SYA Spain Resident Directors:
2002–2011    Griffin Morse (Milton Academy)
2011–2012    John Rosen (Interim; former Resident Director))
2012–2014    Griffin Morse
2014–2017    Virginia Invernizzi (Deerfield Academy)
2017–2018    Eileen Kelly-Aguirre (School Year Abroad)
2018–2022    Meghan Lewis Roof 
2022–            Rocio Alejo Rodriguez

SYA France Resident Directors:
2007–2017    Denis Brochu (Phillips Exeter Academy)
2017–2018    Elizabeth Evans
2018–            Mina Qadir

SYA Italy Resident Directors
2005–2015   Patrick Scanlon (Albuquerque Academy)
2015–2016   Brad Park (Interim; SYA Italy)
2016–           Patrick Scanlon

SYA China Resident Directors:
2010–2011    Frances Fremont-Smith (FutureGenerations/China)
2011–2017    Hilde Becker (SYA China)
2017–2020   John McLoughlin (Brooks School)

SYA Vietnam Resident Directors:
2010–2012    Vu-Doc Vuong (DeAnza College; San Jose City College)

SYA Japan Resident Director:
2010–2011    Mika Fukutomi (Global Kids Academy)

Key Moments

• In January 2020,  students and faculty were evacuated from SYA China in light of COVID-19 pandemic, followed by campus closures in France, Italy and Spain. 
• Our campuses remained closed for the 2021–2022 academic year, but with rocket funding through The Campaign for SYA, SYA was able to retain its faculty and provide an opportunity for professional development workshops.
• Pivoting from in person events to virtual, SYA offers "back to school" classes with faculty.
• In June 2021, SYA successfully completes its first comprehensive capital campaign, The Campaign for SYA, surpassing its goal of $18 million. 
• In 2021, SYA resumes full operations at SYA France, Italy and Spain for the academic year. Operations remain suspended at SYA China.
• Beginning with the 2021–2022 academic year, SYA offers fall and spring semester options along with the full-year program. 
• In April 2022, SYA Italy recognizes its 20th anniversary with a grand celebration in Viterbo.
• In April 2025, SYA and SYA Spain will celebrate our 60th anniversary in Barcelona and Zaragoza.

Leadership in the 2010s

President:
2016–           Thomas E. Hassan

SYA Spain Resident Directors
2018– 2022  Meghan Lewis Roof
2022–           Rocio Alejo Rodriguez 

SYA France Resident Director:
2018–           Mina Qadir

SYA Italy Resident Director:
2016–             Patrick Scanlon (2005–2015; sabbatical 2015–2016)