This MEI program is fantastic. The International Business East meets West program gives you a taste of what life in business is really like and how to work with deadlines. By the end you know if you are cut out for a commerce program or not. I loved the competition of the Apprentice Challenges and Dragon’s Den. Our group was lucky to have Joe Mei as our lead teacher. He is the kind of person that changes the way you see the world and inspires you to achieve great things. The teacher assistants were also excellent and lots of fun. I especially liked our morning workouts and Ultimate Frisbee games in Central Park, at the Tower of London and in front of the Louvre. My most memorable activity was being ‘lost’ at the beach in Hong Kong and of course winning $500 for the London Apprentice!

While on my journey across the world, there were many memorable moments which will stick with me for the rest of my life. If I were to pick one moment in which I believe would top my list, it would be the trek we took to the private beach in Hong Kong. As a class, we were able to just sit back and reflect on how far we had came since the start of the trip and realize how fortunate we all were to have the opportunity to experience something so special. We played frisbee on the beach, swam in the ocean, had lunch together, and even got to write our own song about another classmate which provided some excellent entertainment! It was this moment which ultimately showed me how great the world is and how much it truly has to offer! Having the opportunity to step outside of the four walls of the classroom taught me crucial skills that will help me to be a more independent and successful individual during my future experiences at post secondary school. There is a strong sense of independence and responsibility on MEI programs which I believe are key fundamentals for building a well rounded confident background. Next year at post secondary school, I can confidently say that I will be able to comfortably live on my own and take care of responsibilities such as homework, while having a healthy balance with my friends and family. MEI really taught me the importance of prioritizing and maintaining a healthy balance between responsibility and leisure.

This past summer I participated in the International Business program with MEI Academy and I couldn’t be happier with how well it has prepared me to enter university studying business next year. Since returning I have a new found love for the opportunities in business and have gotten involved with a DECA club at my high school competing in case study events against other students from all over Ontario. This program prepared me with the presentation skills and knowledge needed to enter the business world and ultimately contributed to my success of 8th place in Ontario for my category at DECA Provincials! The program focuses on an array of different aspects of business from real estate to the stock market and everything in between and I have no doubts that this program has provided me with the assets I need to enter university and the business field.The MEI Academy programs truly have an endless amount of benefits when it comes to character and academic development. For myself, I have never been an amazing English student but MEI focuses on creating concise, creative writers that think critically and when reflecting upon my experience with MEI, I could not agree more. Upon returning I have noticed that my public speaking, presentation skills and writing have all improved drastically and become second nature. We are encouraged to journal each morning to warm up our brains and organize our thoughts. This forms a habit to get your thoughts out and organize them in a way that is understandable and clear and I hope to continue this habit and maintain my writing skills.

I took part in the MEI International Business program in 2015, the summer before going into grade 12. Upon entering the program I had no idea what I was passionate about or if I even enjoyed business. I can say with complete confidence this program is the reason I know what I wish to do with my future and know how to achieve my goals. This program gave me experiences I could never have dreamed of while preparing me for university and my future. From the diversity of class material and travel destinations I learnt about my interests, strengths, and how to be successful. This trip allowed me to find my passion and plan for my future with confidence in myself and my abilities. The program is created to keep you busy, focused, motivated, and provide real life examples of situations you usually just read about in textbooks. The program brings opportunities to life and gives you the knowledge and skills needed to be prepared for a successful future. This trip was the best experience of my life and has given me knowledge I could not have received from a textbook or traditional classroom. I would highly recommend this program to anyone, whether you feel passionate about business or your not 100% sure, it changes the way you see the world and yourself.

In Summer 2016, I traveled with MEI Academy on their International Business Program to New York City, London, Paris, Hong Kong, and Beijing. This journey changed my outlook on life in so many ways. Whether it is the constantly changing environments or immersive academics, MEI Academy provided an experience that has forever changed my life. The professional yet down to earth teachers make the program truly special. You are surrounded by educators and students who have competed to be there. That and so much more is what made MEI Academy the best decision of my life.

After completing the MEI International Business Program it is going to be very difficult to return to learning in a classroom. Instead of learning in a room hundreds or thousands of miles away, we got to learn on the spot of whatever we were discussing. Our lessons on finances and the great recession were done on Wall Street, we learned Shakespeare at the Globe theatre, we got to sit down with realtors to discuss the real estates market in London. These are opportunities you just don’t get in a classroom. The trip itself also provided me with an opportunity to see the world and experience different cultures. It was amazing to immerse myself in others cultures and see how people live on the other side of the world. It gave me a much deeper appreciation of everything that I have and the way we live in North America. The teaching staff were amazing and were instrumental in making the trip a success. I had Simon Worley and Suzanne Regimbal as the two teachers on my trip and both of them were very supportive and took the time to make sure you understood the content. They successfully managed the difference between letting us have independence and knowing when to step in. Simon has tons of experience teaching these trips and he has mastered the leadership, social, and management skills necessary to run a program such as this. Suzanne brought a high level of teaching and pushed us to really improve our English skills. From the Hong Kong beach day to the day at the Versailles gardens, this trip was packed with fun times. Overall, this trip was an incredible experience. I was surrounded by 17 amazing people for 35 days and the bonds you build over that time are amazing. I can honestly say I am a different person now than before I embarked on this journey.

MEI’s International Business program was so much fun. For 35 days, we got to experience brand new cultures, become a close knit family with our new-found friends all the while learning English, and the ins and outs of International Business. What I loved most about the program was the fact that the world truly is our classroom. We would have lectures in Central Park in New York, or outside of St. Paul’s in London, or the Louvre in Paris. I also loved how we got to experience what we were learning for ourselves. Whether it was meeting realtors in London while learning about real estate or bargaining at the Silk Market in Beijing while learning about negotiation. Our teachers were amazing, they were really fun to learn from and spend time with in general. The experience was more fun and educational than I ever would have thought, I would highly recommend it!

MEI has opened my eyes in so many ways and allowed me to learn more then I would in a classroom. You aren’t just learning about specific information but you also learn valuable life lessons that are applicable to everyday situations. The International business program has been an enriching experience that has opened my eyes to different cultures, sectors of business as well as helped me develop into a global citizen which is crucial in todays work environment. The course allowed us to be heavily academic while still having fun and put us in real life business simulations. The teachers were amazing both as educators as well as someone you could connect to. This is my second MEI program and I would recommend it to anyone. Both experiences were amazing and I have met some of the best most influential people in my life.

The 2018 International Business trip was an unbelievable journey to remember. When presented this opportunity, I knew I had to escape my comfort zone and take part, and I am sure glad I did. As far as development goes, not a single other program will assist in your personal and academic growth as much as IB. From vigorous presentation schedules to plentiful writing opportunities, your preparedness for your final high school year and the commencement of university will never be better. Beyond academics, there is extremely valuable development of interpersonal skills that takes place while experiencing these cities in a tight-nit group. Something to know before embarking on the journey is that while you are visiting all these breathtaking places, it is not a vacation, as you do have two courses to be completed. Time management must be grasped in order to reach academic requirements with time remaining to explore the amazing cities around you, which is very attainable if you are efficient. The skills I gained along with the experiences I gathered on this trip are extremely valuable, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. First hand experiences of the business dynamics in the city superpowers was extremely interesting, and you certainly would not be able to capture these aspects without this program. Our expert teachers were also great contributors to the success of this trip, and it would not have been the same without them. Overall, this trip was truly amazing and I am extremely happy that I chose to embark on this adventure.

After traveling with MEI Academy for 5 weeks throughout the summer of 2018, going back to normal high school will be a challenge. The trip that I signed up for with great enthusiasm ended up being more amazing then I could have ever imagined it to be. Before too soon, our group that was made up of people who all had different interests and all came from different places was a family. I made friendships that I will cherish for a long time coming. I believe it was so easy for everyone to get along and get close was because we are all hungry to travel and eager to learn; an environment in which I directly found my spot. There is a balance between education and social experiences, and almost all the time, the two overlap. One thing to know is that while this trip is amazing, it is definitely not a vacation There is a great sense of responsibility when you have the decision of going to visit the Big Ben or writing a last-minute essay that you haven’t worked on in the days prior. Time management is a skill that definitely is important during this trip, and even if it isn’t a great skill when starting this adventure, it most definitely will be one of your strongest coming out of it. Besides time management I have developed skills that I will use for the rest of my life. Responsibility, proper social skills, even going to the laundromat and doing our own laundry sometimes ended up being a challenge, but are all skills that have been enhanced during those 5 weeks. My favourite aspect of the trip is the fact that we weren’t just in these incredible places, but our amazing teachers were able to incorporate these environments into our lessons, which truly made the world “our classroom”. We would learn about marketing with the Eiffel tower in the background or reading poems about Dover Beach, while driving past Dover Beach. These are experiences you just aren’t able to recreate while sitting in a classroom. Overall this trip is something that I know I will be looking back on for years and years to come. It was an amazing experience that I would not have wanted to miss for the world.

Over the past summer of 2019, I embarked on the travel opportunity of a lifetime with the MEI International Business Crew. This trip is something I will remember for the rest of my life without question, and has taught me valuable lessons that are hard to come by. Academically, the trip taught me more about how to communicate my thoughts into writing better than the last three years of high school has. The pure amount of writing and story telling that I completed, and the writing of other students that I was exposed to helped me recognize my weaknesses and strengthen them. The types of business lessons and opportunities you get exposed to are unmatched. Learning about the NY Stock Exchange while standing right next to it, learning about a day traders life while standing in their office, and meeting business legends in the flesh are just a few of the lessons that no classroom can ever provide. The feeling I had when was on the trip was a sense of family. My teachers cared for me like parents. They knew my goals and they were determined to find a way to help me reach them. There were no shortcuts, a strong work ethic is definitely necessary for this trip, but everyone is truly there to support you. The business trip has day long competitions called apprenticeships, and these were the days I learned the most about myself and others. These competitions are very challenging, and groups need to work efficiently to get the job one well. I learned more about group dynamics and leadership during this trip than I have in 7 years of competitive sports. This trip is a once in a lifetime opportunity and you don’t want to miss it!

This previous summer I experienced the most life changing summer of my life. Within 35 days I learned more than I had the whole year prior. MEI’s international program opened my eyes to the world of business, taught me about different cultures, and gave me skills I will continue to use in my everyday life. On top of everything I got out of the trip, my favourite quality was the use of environment. Not once did we sit inside a class room during our lectures or our work time. It was always somewhere different, with an open space. From lectures at the steps of Versailles, to songwriting on the Great Wall of China, every day held a new adventure. Later when I went back to school and sat in a classroom again I realized how much of an impact that had on my learning. Another huge highlight of the trip was my teachers. They were all so approachable and impactful throughout the whole journey. They were not only mentors for me, but people I could go to and trust if I was anxious. If you’re debating on whether to do a trip with MEI or not, I highly suggest you take this leap and go for it. To this day I tell stories about my trip, and am still in touch with all the amazing friends that I made. There’s a magic to the community they create and I am so grateful to have been a part of it.

Last summer I had an amazing adventure travelling with MEI Academy completing the International Business Program and acquiring my grade 12 English and grade 12 International Business credits. It was a life changing experience that I would 100 percent recommend. In 5 weeks we traveled from Toronto, to NYC, to London, to Paris and then to Hong Kong and Beijing. We walked the streets of these great international financial centers embracing new cultures, building new friendships and being academically challenged every step of the way. All of the teachers on the trip were extremely engaging and supportive which inspired me to produce my best work. The program allowed me to share ideas with like-minded peers, work in dynamic groups and build leadership skills. I definitely improved my time management skills and my ability to prioritize and work with distractions while still having time for a lot of fun! I returned home more independent, resilient, self aware and confident that I could take on the challenges ahead of me. Honestly, I can’t imagine any better preparation for post secondary studies than completing an MEI Academy program. Thank you MEI for taking me on a trip of a lifetime and providing me with the most incredible memories!

My experience on MEI was wonderful! I gained great social skills as well as having the most amazing teachers to teach me business and english! I would say the most unique aspect of the trip for me was the feeling of having the world at my fingertips while also creating an incredible balance between academics as well as free time to go off and have fun and get to know your peers! If your looking for an all around amazing experience that allows you to grow as a human being I highly recommend this program!

I went on the International Business Program in the summer of 2021. It was the first time really being able to travel again since the start of the pandemic, and it was the most amazing experience. Despite having to navigate the changing covid rules and restrictions MEI did a great job of making the trip run very smoothly and safely. I became close friends with some of the best people from all around the United States and Canada and we all continue to keep in touch with each other! The six cities we went to over the course of a month were all well planned, and I loved having the chance to both academically learn in these place but also have time to really explore cities and see the sights. The MEI saying is that the “world is our classroom” and this is very true, and an aspect of MEI that makes it very unique in the best way possible! Having our classes out in the cities really opened up my eyes to how amazing learning can be when we step beyond the closed walls and desks of a typical classroom we are used to. There is nothing comparable to learning about Julius Caesar while sitting various squares in Rome, or learning about real estate while walking and physically looking at real estate through the streets of Berlin. Our teachers were also the best! As academic teachers they were very knowledgable and engaging about the Business and English courses they were teaching, but as we traveled around with them we really get to know them and their personalities beyond the classroom which was really nice to be able to connect with them in a way that is not usually possible in traditional school. Lastly, the experience as a whole was a ton of fun. It was definitely a trip where we all had to learn how to manage our time as we had to balance our academic work with our exploring of cities and hanging out with peers, but all of these aspects (even the academic work) were very fun and engaging! It was an experience of a life time that I already wish I could go back to!

The experiences and activities on this trip are like no other scholarly experiences I’ve encountered before. The idea of a classroom being at these world-famous sites is astonishing. Furthermore, the assignments are well oriented around the places you go and the activities you complete. They are hands-on, engaging, and surprisingly entertaining to say the least! Overall it was a truly amazing experience and pushed me to want to do more world travel and learn more about the subject area. This is a trip I will definitely not forget.