AMERICAN ACADEMY IN PRAGUE
1ST - 12TH GRADE
A network of American schools, we are inspired by the best educational concepts from around the world: freedom to choose subjects, individual approach, subjects divided according to competences, emphasis on practical learning, project-based learning and theme weeks. All classes are taught in English and led by a team of teachers from all over the world.
American Academy in Prague is a cutting-edge school helping to educate the leaders of the future. We offer an American-style curriculum with project-based learning that allows our students to choose subjects that interest them. Not only do we prepare students to study at some of the most prestigious universities in the world, we help our students to become proactive global citizens who can help shape the world.
Our signature theme weeks allow students to learn how to collaborate effectively with others, build a strong team and think in creative ways to search for solutions, while stepping out of the classroom. Our faculty and staff help to foster an environment for students to grow as individuals and together with the students we work to create an amazing learning environment.
During the teaching at Elementary School, we emphasize an individual approach to each of the students and through project and thematic teaching we enable them not only to acquire the necessary knowledge, but also to apply it correctly.
1st to 5th year students take courses in English, mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, art, physical education and library skills. From such an early age, they learn the curriculum completely in English, which gives them a huge advantage in the future and prepares them for a smooth transition to our Middle School.
The Middle School program corresponds to grades 6-8 in the Czech educational system. It offers students a diverse range of subjects on which they can exercise a certain amount of choice so that they can focus more on the areas that really interest them.
The subjects are divided into several departments, including but not limited to Mathematics, World Languages and Natural Sciences. From each department, students choose the subjects they want to pursue -- the condition being, of course, that students achieve the required number of credits.
High School students work to develop their strengths and focus on subjects that prepare them to study their dream disciplines at quality universities around the world. High School has four grades and corresponds to the Czech 9th grade of elementary to 3rd grade of high school, so American Academy students leave school a year earlier than is common in the Czech Republic.
Thanks to the composition and quality of the subjects offered, however, they depart high school better prepared for university than anyone else. We pay maximum attention to counseling and preparation for university studies at this level.
The STEM Program is designed for Middle School and High School students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. In this specialized educational program, we acquaint our students with up-to-date technologies, informatics and scientific methods or tools and at the same time show them how to apply them in everyday life.
The program is divided into two special blocks which are taught every day: Programming & Robotics and Science. Students have at their disposal special classrooms with first-class equipment, so the quality of our program is on par with top American private schools.
Our curriculum is inspired by the best of world’s educational programs, notably American and Finnish systems.
Our students have the freedom to choose the subjects they want to study so they can focus on what really interests them and develop necessary social and practical skills during high school.
We put emphasis on high-quality academic program. Besides a wide range of subjects led by great teachers, American Academy offers Advanced Placement (university level courses) and academic program STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths).
Both of these programs together with American high school diploma increase students’ chances to get accepted by the world’s best universities.
Much like the International Baccalaureate Diploma or British high school diploma, our students must get their diploma validated if they want to apply for a Czech University. It is a process which we are familiar with, and we are happy to help students with their individual application processes. American Academy also offers Advanced Placement courses, which are equivalent to university courses in the American and Canadian systems. Students take exams in these subjects, which are comparable to the IB exams and accepted by universities around the world.
Co-head of the STEM department
Alyssa Murphy is from Massachusetts and has a Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry as well as a Bachelors of Arts in Classical Studies. She began her teaching career in Mississippi and moved to the Czech Republic 3 years ago. With a passion for STEM, she brings an interactive and holistic approach to every lesson. She has been teaching science for 6 years and teaches math and STEM at AAP.
Alicia Pitts is originally from Alabama but has spent most of her adult life abroad. Her teaching experience began in 2011 in South Korea where she fell in love with creating hands-on lessons to engage students. She returned to the U.S. to obtain a degree in Biology and science education at the University of Arkansas. Alicia moved to the Czech Republic in 2021 and began teaching at AAP in 2022. She teaches Biology, Chemistry, and STEM.
We divide the High School and Middle School STEM program into two blocks, each of which students take 55 minutes a day, each time they complete classical subjects.
In all subjects, attention is laser-focused on developing problem solving skills, cooperation, creativity and critical thinking.
We believe it is crucial that our students have easy access to a wide variety of knowledge, including subjects not typically taught at schools. Outside of our core curriculum requirements, students are encouraged to identify and focus on what they find most interesting.
Graduation requirements for students entering AAP in the 2023–2024 academic year:
Total number of credits required for graduation is 67 credits minimum, 72 recommended.
THEME WEEK
In addition to our American based curriculum, American Academy offers theme weeks inspired by Finnish academic traditions. During theme weeks, there is a school-wide project that develops skills and competencies such as communication, team work, collaboration, problem solving, creativity, critical thinking or project management.
During theme week students experienced a lot of different things – some students went to escape rooms in Prague, some students went on a haunted statues tour, other students went on a cave trip, and some students even went to Kutná Hora. They experienced these things in order to learn much needed skills which helped them to organize their own final projects based on the same Magic and Mysteries theme.
These final projects included: our phenomenal Haunted House, our own puzzling escape room, podcasts, a charity bake sale, an art exhibition, a magic show, and the list goes on and on. Proceeds from the Haunted House, Escape Room and the Bake Sale which raised money for SOS Children’s Villages (SOS Dětské vesničky).
In the beginning, the students had to ask themselves some questions regarding how have rivers shaped human history and how do humans now shape rivers? Once the list of questions and workshops descriptions were finalized, they were asked to rank their choices so the teachers could create a customized Theme Week schedule for each student. Some workshops were held in the school in a classroom, others were on site in the water treatment plant, exploring the city of Pilsen, canoeing, creating art, making a short film, and a two-day hike exploring the Labe River. At the end of the week, all the staff and students gathered for an assembly where different groups presented what they learned, including a song, several videos and a skit. The school also created a "gallery walk" with drawings, games, and other visual representations of what each group learned during their workshop.
A group of ten students and a teacher explored Prague’s treasures: museums, monuments, food, transportation, landmarks, the river, and the people. Some of the more noteworthy trips included a tour and workshop at the Jewish Synagogue; a walking tour showing secret treasures of Prague, and a lecture by a holocaust survivor. During Thursday of that week, each group made a special tour and picture scavenger hunt in the morning and then the different groups switched tours and ran around Prague and saw Prague through their classmates eyes. The winner of the best tour and scavenger hunt won a pizza party. Students then created a product like a song, a presentation, a website and more that captured what they had learned during the whole week. It was followed by a school-wide assembly where students showcased their final products.
The third theme week of the 2019-2020 school year was called Creation in Isolation. Due to COVID-19 and social distancing, students either worked on their theme week projects by themselves or in small groups. Students were given the task of thinking about something that they had always wanted to do but never had the time to. They chose projects like learning how to play the violin, learning how to skateboard, learning how to do animation, upscaling clothes, learning how to sew, writing poetry, building a website, and so many more! The groups or individuals then had to document their progress throughout the week and make a final video showing what they had accomplished. We were so impressed with our students for embracing this theme week and putting so much effort into it.
We believe it is crucial that our students acquire a comprehensive knowledge and skill set that will prepare them for further study and successful lives.
Don't expect extensive testing to follow application at American Academy in Prague. We are primarily interested in the character and enthusiasm of Middle and High School applicants – that's why the personal interview and essay play such crucial roles in our process.
Elementary school applicants will be assessed for school readiness during the enrollment process, with a focus on gross and fine motor skills, expressive skills, mathematical imagination and social maturity.
For the academic year 2023/24, we have spots for 250 students.
GRADUATE PROFILE
- 2022 -
An American Academy graduate is a confident young person who is engaged in the immediate world around them and will be mindful of those that exist around them. They have developed confidence, solve problems actively, and always take full ownership of their actions. They have discovered what their main values are and are able to act upon them.
Graduating from an international school, the students are ready to begin higher education anywhere in the world, including the highest ranking universities.
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Completing AP Capstone will help you stand out among other college applicants while deepening your knowledge in subject areas that interest you. It will also improve your critical thinking, time management and presentation skills as well as much more. We are the only high school in the Czech Republic that offers this program.
AP Capstone is a diploma program based on two AP courses: AP Seminar and AP Research.
In AP Seminar you will learn to assess an issue from different perspectives, find credible sources, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of arguments, and make logical, evidence-based recommendations. This seminar is a prerequisite for the AP Research program. During the course, you’ll complete a team project and an individual paper and presentation, as well as take a written end-of-course exam.
In AP Research, you'll explore a variety of research methods and complete your own research project. You can build on a topic you covered in the AP Seminar program or start something completely new. At the end of the project, you’ll submit your academic paper and present and defend your research findings.
“My experience in AP Capstone gave me exposure to a field I couldn’t really access in the normal school curriculum.” —KAELIN, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS–AUSTIN
If you earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research as well as on four additional AP exams of your choice, you’ll receive the AP Capstone Diploma.
If you earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research, without the other four AP exams, you will receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.
“AP Capstone helped me work independently, think critically about research and the research process, and organize myself so I can present to other people.” —MICHAEL, STANFORD UNIVERSITY
See for yourself that learning can be engaging and support curiosity. Our students develop skills necessary for a successful life at the professional level already in high school.
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