Academics & Arts
Upper School (Grades 9-12)

Passport Travel

Laurel’s Global Education Program supports cultural competence through trips, exchanges and curriculum. Educated global citizens bring a broader perspective to their studies and learn to interact with their peers in a global arena. Follow us on Instagram @LaurelPassport!

Passport Philosophy

Throughout each division and grade, Laurel’s curriculum cultivates a keen awareness in the many cultures that populate our planet. Starting in Middle School, Laurel students become eligible to participate in the school’s signature Passport program, which encompasses semester-away and exchange partnerships with schools and communities around the world, as well as a curriculum grounded in global awareness. Whether Laurel students travel the globe literally or are immersed in it figuratively, they learn to interpret worlds different from their own and to become global citizens for the 21st Century.

  • "I had an amazing time on this unforgettable trip. The teachers never lost their positive energy and I came back with a different mindset on sustainability." -Maja

  • "I learned so much about myself and the kind of person I want to be, as well as the mark I want to leave on the world; it changed my perspective about the world and my ability to change it for the better." -Olivia

  • "I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I wish I could relive it." -Olivia

  • "It made me so much more grateful for the life I have and confirmed my love for helping people in different communities." -Claire

  • "The trip was an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience. I enjoyed every second and there was never a dull moment." -Audrey

  • "This trip helped me create new friendships and boosted my confidence socially. It also got me out of my comfort zone by allowing me [to experience] someone else's culture." -Alura

  • "This trip was a reminder to put down my phone to enjoy the people I am with and what I am experiencing. Peru helped me recenter my values; new friends, family, learning a new culture, and doing good deeds." -Lily

  • "This was a great experience and I had a fun time while also learning a lot. Our tour guide was great and really worked with us and our needs as a whole group." -Linnea

  • “I unlocked a passion for drawing and formed unbreakable connections with not only the students but also with the teachers that went. I am so grateful for my experience.” -Veronica

  • “Paris was absolutely magical—something you always hear about but can never really understand until you experience it yourself.” -Bryanna

  • “Traveling to France and Italy was the experience of a lifetime.” -Danielle

How It Works

Each Passport program is motivated by two objectives: to teach students about other parts of the world, and where appropriate, to emphasize the role of service in the global environment. Individual programs might be a short-term exchange (up to one month) or a focused trip (two weeks). Our focused trips tend to occur over scheduled breaks or at the end of the year to minimize school days missed. Many of the trips are offered on rotation; some are annual. The rotation includes a variety of offerings in terms of location, purpose/areas of emphasis, and price points.

Past Trips

Art/Art History Trip to Italy, France & Spain • Conservation & Social Justice in South Africa • New York as a Muse • Drama at the Stratford Festival in Canada • Literary Scholars in Ireland • Legendary London • Marine Biology & Adventure Trip to the Bahamas • Montreal & Quebec City Tour • Peru’s Ancient Cultures/Service Trip • Prague, Vienna & Budapest: Then and Now • Young Women’s Leadership in the Dominican Republic

Semester-Away Programs

Laurel School is thrilled for students to consider semester-away opportunities such as those offered by our five partner-school programs:

Lyman Campus | Laurel School

1 Lyman Circle
Shaker Heights, OH 44122
Phone: 216-464-1441
Admissions: admissions@LaurelSchool.org
General: info@LaurelSchool.org

Butler Campus | Laurel School

7420 Fairmount Road
Novelty, OH 44072
Phone: 216-464-1441
Admissions: admissions@LaurelSchool.org
General: info@LaurelSchool.org
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