English Language Immersion at Northfield Mount Hermon

A four-week, mastery-based English immersion curriculum for middle and high school students, focused on real-world communication and personal academic growth in a student-centred environment. Mornings are spent reading novels, writing original stories and taking part in student-led class discussions. Afternoons bring ELI and non-ELI students together for electives, competitive sports and campus-wide activities. Separate afternoon course lists are published for grades 7–8 and grades 9–12. Expert teachers focus on the character and communication skills students need for high school and beyond.

The programme is sold as one four-week block. Required fees for health insurance, a health and safety fee and a student activities fee are charged in addition to tuition, and optional SAT preparation courses and airport shuttles are available. A day format is available for students who commute from home.

Students live on the Northfield Mount Hermon campus between Gill and Northfield in western Massachusetts, adjacent to the Connecticut River, about two hours west of Boston. Students stay in age-based dorms separated by gender and grade, with separate dorms for grades 7–8 and grades 9–12; each student generally has one roommate in a double dorm room. Each dorm is led by a resident dorm head and teaching fellows, dorm doors are secured with ID card access and campus safety officers are on duty around the clock. ELI students share dorms, afternoon electives and weekend excursions with the two-week Enthusiasts.

Meals are served in Alumni Hall, the school dining room, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, extensive salad, cereal and deli bars and soft-serve ice cream, and plenty of local produce including produce from the school’s own campus farm. A community norm in Alumni Hall is no-tech mealtime. Classes and outings also provide the chance for culinary exploration. Dining hours vary through the week, and a campus store and snack bar provide additional options.

Afternoons bring the full student body together for electives, competitive sports and campus-wide activities. Authentic experiences take students beyond the classroom to order at local restaurants and cheer at baseball games. Historic excursions include Salem, Massachusetts, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Emily Dickinson Museum. Students also hike in the surrounding mountains, raft and kayak on nearby rivers and visit local farms and weekend craft shows in the valley.

World-class facilities on a New England campus, from state-of-the-art arts and athletics centres to outdoor spaces, plus laboratories, a dining room in Alumni Hall, a campus store and snack bar, a pool and the school’s own campus farm. Wireless internet is available throughout campus, including in the dorms.

New England’s longest-running immersion programme, a leader in the field since 1905, has welcomed students from over 130 countries. Care is available around the clock from experienced teachers and staff. Summer daytime temperatures in the Connecticut River valley typically keep to the 70s and 80s Fahrenheit (24 to 28 degrees Celsius). The campus is close to Interstate 91 and near Bradley International in Hartford, Logan Airport in Boston and New York’s LaGuardia and Kennedy airports.