Andrews Osborne Academy

The Boarding Experience At AOA

Nestled amongst the natural forested beauty of AOA’s 300 acre campus, our residential houses are a home away from home for our boarding students. The six residential houses found here are a short walk from the student union, the library, the dining hall, and all academic buildings.

Learning Goals For Boarding Students

Academic Success

Boarders will work toward greater academic success by establishing academic goals, creating a study routine, identifying areas for academic growth, and enhancing their knowledge of campus resources.

Community Responsibility and Engagement

Boarders will learn what it means to engage in a community environment by collectively establishing and maintaining expectations in a residential community, participating in group dialogues, engaging in critical self-reflection, and taking part in restorative justice practices.

Cultural Competency

Boarders will grow their cultural competency by experiencing the cultures represented in the boarding community in meaningful ways, reflecting on their own culturally-grounded values, perceptions and beliefs, and gaining deeper knowledge about institutional and societal issues affecting different groups of people.

Health and Wellness

Boarders will develop greater physical, emotional, financial and social wellness by focusing on elements of good nutrition, healthy relationships, mindfulness, reflection, and responsible money management.

Independent Living Skills

Boarders will enhance their ability to be self-sufficient by learning how to clean and maintain a home, exercising different time management strategies, and reflecting on their ability to cope with failure.

Growth Opportunities

Weekend Activity Experiences are a chance to get off campus and explore Greater Cleveland. examples of activities include trips to local parks, Cleveland professional sporting events, museums, shopping, recreational activities, amusement parks, and cultural celebrations.

• There is a wide variety of AOA Clubs available during the school week to participate in
• Explore the world during school breaks as part of an AOA International Travel Experience
• Dive deeper into your passions and interests with the Phoenix Scholars Program

The AOA Residential Life Curriculum is designed to elevate students' academic success and experience all that life at AOA has to offer...

• Learn what it means to be a part of an international community
• Improve your ability to communicate across cultural differences
• Develop healthy lifestyle habits and act with greater independence
• Increase your connections and relationships with faculty members
• Explore the surrounding area, experience American traditions, and make memories through participation in weekend activities
• Experience tight-knit house communities and lasting friendships

Year-Round Boarder Care Pledge

Our Year-Round Care Pledge contains five promises to you as a family:

• Our facilities will be superlatively maintained and our staff directed to provide a healthy and safe environment for your sons and daughters
• We will be prepared to handle any health-related issues that may arise, appropriately separating and caring for anyone who does become ill
• We will provide a year-round boarding experience without adding any extra fees
• We will identify an “adopted” family for each international boarder to provide some comfort and diversion during breaks from school
• We will support the learning of all boarding students on campus regardless of how the delivery of that education may shift over time

Our facilities will be superlatively maintained.

We will be doubling our cleaning and disinfecting protocols to ensure a healthy environment. Our Residential Life team includes staff that live in the dormitories with our students as well as a faculty group that lives on campus and are available 24-7 to assist as needed. All Residential Life staff will be focused on reminding students to wash their hands, wear masks as needed, and socially distance. You can be 100% confident that AOA will follow all necessary precautions and guidelines to keep your son or daughter safe.

We will offer continuous residential life programming without fees.

Students should not travel any more than necessary at this time. So, we are making an extraordinary commitment to all of our international families. From the moment your child arrives on campus until the conclusion of the school year, we are committed to providing continuous housing and meals at no additional cost, including all breaks and extensions.

Every international boarding student will be “adopted” by a local family.

A new and exciting addition at AOA next fall will be the ‘Adopt-a-Boarder’ program. This community-based initiative will ensure that every international boarding student is matched with an American family. Throughout the year, each family and student will connect in many ways, spending time together, enjoying meals, and growing a strong, supportive, relationship.

The Residential Life program will support students through any periods of remote or hybrid learning.

We know it is possible next year that schools will be required to teach either remotely or in a hybrid mode of both standard and remote learning. Regardless of how students are asked to learn, our boarders are guaranteed to receive:

• Continuous housing on campus
• Meals provided through a safe and secure delivery method
• Structured support/supervision from AOA residential life staff
• Real-time support from faculty
• Access to campus facilities, including our walking trails, fitness center, gymnasium and green space
• Opportunities for continued, safe engagement and increased socialization with other on-campus students

These five promises make up our Year-Round Care Pledge to you. We hope this commitment gives you some “peace-of-mind” concerning your son or daughter living on campus at AOA for the current school year.

Living On Campus

What else should we know about House Facilities at AOA?

• - Four houses received new kitchens and new bathrooms!
• - Two Houseparents live in each residential house, providing comprehensive supervision, safety, and support
• - Student rooms are primarily set up as doubles, but some houses possess bigger spaces for triples and/or quads
• - Each house has its own laundry facilities, so you can keep yourself looking tip-top
• - Each house has cable TV for general use in its common area and Wi-Fi connectivity for your academic and entertainment needs