Literacy : Understanding that skills in reading and writing are crucial for empowered and responsible citizens , the program serves to advance literacy as a way to break cycles of poverty in Hampton Roads and beyond . Fellows work to develop their own writing ability , while collaborating with outside organizations and communities to gain knowledge of the far-reaching implications of literacy .
All students in the Fellows Programs participate in the Leadership Lab as rising juniors ; it is an experiential program in partnership with Calleva , a Washington , D . C . -based organization , which designs innovative outdoor education that promotes personal growth , group cooperation , and leadership skills . The Leadership Lab is also open to students who are not in the Fellows Programs .
MEDICAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM : Upper School students have the opportunity to participate in a series of medical education programs and internships in the private M . D ./ hospital industry . The program , a joint effort among community physicians , Eastern Virginia Medical School , Sentara Healthcare , and Norfolk Academy , inspires students to consider an array of careers in healthcare .
International Programs
GLOBAL CLASSROOM PROGRAMS
Odyssey in Italy : A group of rising 9th graders travel to Sicily and Southern Italy for 10 days in June . Guided by their background in Latin during the first 2 years of Middle School , the students continue the conversation with antiquity which has shaped the Western World .
Archaeology in Portugal : The program offers students the opportunity to spend 3 weeks during the summer working on a Roman excavation .
STUDENT-TO-STUDENT LANGUAGE EXCHANGES These programs are closely aligned with the Upper School language curricula in German , Spanish , and French . N . A . students and their families host students from partner schools , and then travel abroad to share in that same hospitality . While most of the exchanges are for 2 – 3 weeks , opportunities exist for students to spend 9 – 10 weeks overseas .
French : Our exchange with Saint Dominique in Neuilly-sur-Seine ( Paris ) offers both a short ( 2-week ) and longer-term exchange ( 9-week ).
German : Our exchange with Copernicus Gymnasium in Löningen is entering its forty-fourth year , and we believe it is the oldest , continuously-running high school exchange between our countries . We typically host students from Copernicus Gymnasium for 2 – 3 weeks in April , and we travel to Germany for 3 weeks in June .
Spanish : The exchange with Colegio Europeo de Madrid includes a visit from the Spanish students in September ; Norfolk Academy students travel to Spain for 2 weeks ( including spring break ). Students may also apply for a 4 – 5 week exchange with a student attending St . George ’ s College in Buenos Aires , Argentina . The Argentinian student visits in winter , while the N . A . student travels in the summer .
LEADERSHIP PROGRAM IN CHINA : This three-week summer trip to China combines a student-tostudent exchange with Beijing 101 , a leading academic institution in China ’ s capital , and , in partnership with Where There Be Dragons , a leadership / global citizenship experience incorporating service learning and a homestay in a rural village .