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Missouri Military Academy forges agreement with Vermont's Norwich College, seeks future partnerships

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Missouri Military Academy

A recent agreement between the Missouri Military Academy in Mexico and Norwich College in Vermont has school officials enthusiastic about future collaborations.

The arrangement guarantees Missouri Military Academy students who meet academic and leadership standards admission into Norwich University. The partnership between the two schools went into effect in late May.

Dean of Academics Frank Giuseffi says he looks forward to providing the students with more partnerships like this one to choose from, when choosing their college.

“We see this as an ongoing enterprise, we are looking at regional places for partnership, were looking at the southwest and one on the east coast,” Giuseffi said.

Giuseffi also says the process the school undergoes when choosing a partnership is extensive and intended to benefit the students. “We have to be strategic about it and not arbitrarily choose schools but find schools that our boys, our cadets can thrive in and develop those relationships,” he said.

The agreement is expected to help students continue the type of learning they are used to from MMA, by exposing them to colleges with the same learning values.

In addition to the new partnership, school officials are also looking forward to the introduction of a new award.

The academy will be introducing the Duke of Edinburgh's Award to the student body for the 2013-2014 school year. It will be the first chapter in Missouri to do so. The award, which originated in the UK, recognizes achievement in a variety of ways including academics, sports, and music.

Academy Group Director Christine Smith says the award recognizes the same achievements as the academy. “What it emphasizes is persistence and dedication to development of skills and improvement of skills over a long period of time and that really closely aligns with what we teach here at MMA,” Smith said.

Smith predicts the award will set Missouri Military Academy students apart and will help reward their progress at the school on a larger level.

The academy hosted the Special Olympics and the Miss Missouri Pageant earlier this summer, and is planning on hosting an English language camp at the end of the summer to help their foreign students improve their English skills before the school year starts.

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