On September 9, 1964, two teachers and the original 11 "schoolboys" set sail from Hoboken, New Jersey to Le Havre, France aboard the MS Aurelia. Their eastbound fare was $196. At $3,200, tuition covered this travel expense and most others for the year. The original school was located at the Instituto de Estudios Norteamericanos in Barcelona.
Founder’s Day is a time to reflect on SYA’s history as well as renew our commitment to promoting intercultural understanding and appreciation through the immersive adventure of fully engaging with different languages and peoples. For 59 years, SYA has guided its students through a challenging curriculum focused on developing skills and cultural competencies for an increasingly interdependent world.
Schoolboys Abroad was conceived by Clark Vaughan (pictured left), Spanish teacher at Wilbraham Academy, and SYA's first Resident Director. Wilbraham Academy wanted to launch the program in 1963-64 and had at least 20 processed applications for that fall, but an emergency expenditure at the school put the program on indefinite hold. Vaughan then took the idea to Phillips Academy (Andover) where Headmaster John Kemper backed the program and gave it space for an administrative office. Daniel (Dan) Olivier, head of the French Department at Germantown Friends School, was Vaughan's assistant in setting up the program and taught English for SYA.
The academic year is officially underway! Learn more about how you can get involved over these first few weeks.
While SYA celebrates 59 years, classes ending in 4 or 9 are celebrating reunions too! There’s no better time to reconnect with classmates and reminisce about your time abroad.