|
You see, American History is so much more than just memorizing things like:
✔ dates
✔ events ✔ facts ✔ people ✔ speeches |
|
✔ dates
✔ events ✔ facts ✔ people ✔ speeches |
DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS
Reading and analyzing historical documents teaches children to become careful readers. What rights do the First Amendment really give U.S. citizens? How important is propaganda when it comes to war? Learning U.S. history gives students a chance to become skeptical of biases and independent thinkers.
STRENGTHENING QUALITIES LIKE EMPATHY & COMPASSION
Chances are, living in a foreign country has already opened your child's eyes to different cultures. They see how different the world is and how unique each person they meet can be-- history lessons just broaden that awareness. Discovering the hardships and sacrifices other people endured-- even just within the context of U.S. history-- can help children develop compassion, tolerance, and empathy in new ways.
GIVING YOUR CHILD A SENSE OF WHERE THEY CAME FROM
Some kids have only known life abroad and they have little knowledge or connection to life in the U.S.
Learning American history can help kids understand where they come from and provide them with a sense of identity. It'll help them appreciate sacrifices and struggles of their ancestors and even help them develop a sense of patriotism and pride in their country. An international or local education may give them a greater sense of the history of the world-- which is important as well-- but U.S. history shows your student where they fit into it all. HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND HOW CULTURES EVOLVE
The U.S., although still a relatively young nation, has seen many eras and ages. History lessons show students how society and culture change and evolve over time and how much one generation can affect the next.
DEVELOPING THEIR APPRECIATION FOR THEIR SURROUNDINGS WHILE ABROAD
The United States is a melting pot of cultures. As children learn more about how the nation came to be-- and the diverse cultures and people who made it so-- they'll cultivate an appreciation for whatever country they currently call home.
Living abroad while studying U.S. history is a unique opportunity for children to connect to the subject on a completely different level. |
Without an organized outline and thorough chronological lessons, most kids are unable to get through all of the material that is expected of them from year to year. They fall victim to a lack of clarity on what dates, facts, & characters they should be learning about and not knowing what is required.
Yet American History and civics are required subjects taught in kindergarten through 8th grade in American public schools, and questions on these topics appear on every standardized test beginning as early as the third grade! And as your child gets older, it becomes even more important. American history is often a part of college entrance exams like the ACT or SAT. In other words, kids need to know this stuff! |
You literally never know when your family might have to return to the States. Maybe your next assignment will be back in Washington D.C., maybe you’ll be faced with a medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) or, due to a natural disaster, pandemic, or political unrest, you’ll be forced to depart post unexpectedly.
That’s why you need to make sure your child is learning their American History NOW, not later. US History Abroad offers age-appropriate courses created specifically for foreign service families. Each course has 30 self-paced lessons that cover essential US History in a fun and interactive way to keep your child excited and educated. Lessons include stories with Fergus, the History Pup, as well as other stories told from interesting perspectives. Students play games and unlock prizes and level up as they learn. They can earn badges and place on the leaderboard, competing with other students going through the course. I also offer the Simple Reimbursement Guarantee. If your FMO does NOT approve your reimbursement, I’ll send you a refund for the full amount of the course within 24 hours. It’s not too late! If your child is in kindergarten through eighth grade, US History Abroad is a golden opportunity for you to jump in and get your child the American History lessons that they need to keep up with their Stateside peers. |
All courses include fun NEW games!
Each course includes age-appropriate games to encourage your child to get involved with the course material. They may even start asking you to play the games just for fun! Students get to help their team succeed! Students of each course will be on teams, and as they complete lessons they’ll help their team climb up the leaderboard! This added team-element will help kids feel the camaraderie of other expat kids having similar experiences while also adding a competitive element to keep things interesting. The courses feature a new addition: Fergus, the History Pup. Fergus helps children of all ages truly understand history by telling stories in a unique, engaging way. Kids love learning from Fergus, as he brings history to life for them. All US History Abroad Courses are completely self-paced! Each course includes 30 lessons where students learn with quizzes, activities, songs, games, funny videos and/or stories. Students have until August 31st to finish the course, so they can work as quickly or as slowly as they choose. All US History Abroad Courses are 100% reimbursable! If you’re a qualifying family in the Foreign Service, this course is 100% reimbursable. All courses were created based on the history and social studies guidelines from the Virginia State Standards of Learning. (The State mandated requirements that teachers need to teach for each subject and grade level). That means these courses will be reimbursed by your Financial Management Office — and if not, I offer a Simple Reimbursement Guarantee. If your FMO doesn’t reimburse you, I’ll give you your money back. |
|
|
"My mom always tells me that she looks up to Lincoln and now I know why.
Thank you for teaching me new things to tell her!" "You would think that listening to the National Anthem every week would get boring, but I liked the different versions. Also, truthfully, I don't think I knew all of the right words until your course so thanks for helping me not make a fool of myself." "I learned so much stuff! It was actually very interesting. My meager and vaguely scattered knowledge of American History came together. Thank you." |
U.S. History Abroad is the most interactive and thorough American history program designed for busy expat kids living abroad who are COMMITTED to keeping up with their American public school peers. Each course is highly curated and filled with the precise content that your child needs.
The cost of tuition is 100% reimbursable. All that’s required is that you meet each of the following criteria: 1. You currently live overseas. 2. One parent is an employee by the U.S. State Department, U.S. AID, or LEGAT. 3. Your child is between kindergarten and 8th grade. 4. American history is not taught in your child’s grade. Once you register your child, you’ll receive an auto-generated email with a receipt and a Done-For-You email template where you just fill in the blanks with your personal information and easily send it to your Financial Management Office (FMO) for reimbursement. If for any reason, your FMO denies your claim, simply forward their rejection letter to me and I will personally process a full refund of your tuition for you within 24 hours. It’s truly unlikely to happen — in 8+ years of working with hundreds of families, this has happened twice! |
What if my child is already super busy?
|
This is probably the question that gets asked the most which is why our courses follow a Busy-Kid Approved Plan!
You’ve probably heard the adage, “If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.” Well, the truth of the matter is that our most engaged students are the ones who are juggling school, after-school activities, extracurriculars, sports, volunteering, etc. Why? Because they are figuring out how to look ahead and manage their time. What a wonderful life skill to cultivate RIGHT NOW! Hundreds of busy expat kids go through our courses. (And remember, we’re only talking about 30-45 minutes per lesson.) |
Will this course be enough?
|
Your child is going to learn all of the events, dates, speeches, key figures, and concepts that are listed on the American history portion of the Standards of Learning Guidelines for Virginia public schools.
Each course is comprehensive and will give them a variety of mediums (videos, music, funsheets, games, activities, book suggestions) to learn the material. So, YES! This course is all your child needs to keep up! |
Can't my child wait to take an American history or civics course in high school?
|
I like to use the analogy of dirty dishes here.
Could you stack your dirty dishes in the sink instead of rinsing and placing them in the dishwasher after each use? You could. But at the end of the day, it makes for a pretty lofty chore to scrub the dried up spaghetti sauce off the plates and utensils and then load them into the dishwasher. If you took a little bit of time to work on the task in smaller, more manageable bits, it probably wouldn’t even feel like you were working! The same goes for learning American history. Kids will need to know this stuff as they prepare for college entrance exams (like the SAT or ACT) and you’re not going to want to saddle them with “a sink full of dirty dishes to clean up” just before test time. Invest in the time to get familiar with the material now so that it’s not the least bit daunting later on. |
I don't want to argue with my child about adding extra work to their plate.
|
I have 3 kiddos of my own so I totally get this concern!
Sometimes our kids suck the life out of us and we don’t have the energy to argue with them (even if it’s for their own good.) That’s why I added more games, more videos, and Fergus, the History Pup, to help the courses NOT feel like work. For kids that are intrinsically motivated, these lessons are perfect because students feel so proud and patriotic & just plain SMART after watching a lesson or playing a learning game. (Parents, watch out! Your child may surpass your level of American history knowledge…) |
How long do we have access to the course?
|
Each course is made up of 30 lessons that students have access to until August 31st. Some kids work on one lesson a week throughout the school year. Others like to binge Netflix-style on lessons during fall, winter, and spring breaks. A few kiddos like to put off working on their course until the summer.
You and your child can come up with a plan that works best for them. There are no set times that students must log onto the course. Unlike other programs where you have to juggle your schedule with a teacher or tutor, our program is self-paced and can be completed on YOUR schedule. |
What if I can't get reimbursed?
|
I created these courses based on the history and social studies guidelines from the Virginia State Standards of Learning. (The State mandated requirements that teachers need to teach for each subject and grade level).
This means that the material covered in our lessons is REQUIRED learning for students who attend Virginia public schools. Because of this, it’s very unlikely that your Financial Management Office will not reimburse you for your child’s tuition if: 1. You currently live overseas. 2. One parent is employed by the U.S. State Department, U.S. AID, or LEGAT. 3. Your child is in kindergarten through 8th grade. 4. American history is not taught in your child’s grade. However, to give you peace of mind before purchasing, I offer a Simple Reimbursement Guarantee. If you don’t get reimbursed, I’ll give you your money back. |
Can you remind me of what I'm getting when I sign up my child today?
|
Absolutely! You’ll get access to a grade-appropriate American history course that is thorough and follows what is being taught in public school.
In other words: the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your child finally understands where they came from, and that they’re prepared academically. |
✔ You want your child to feel patriotic and understand why your family chose a life in the Foreign Service.
✔ You don’t believe that your child should have to sacrifice this part of their education because of their overseas lifestyle. ✔ There’s a chance that your family will return to the States and you need to make sure that your child will be academically prepared. ✔ You’re looking for a thorough course that teaches in chronological order. ✔ You want a guided program that will engage your child. ✔ You want to give them a leg up on college entrance exams (and even elementary and middle school standardized tests). ✔ You want the peace of mind of a Simple Reimbursement Guarantee. |
Hi, I’m Alix Bryant! When I was homeschooling our kids during our assignment to Moscow, other FS parents began to ask me what resources I used to meet the American History requirements. After I shared everything I’d put together with a few other families, they eventually asked if I’d be interested in teaching their kids too!
And that’s how US History Abroad started. I saw that other FS parents were struggling to help their kids understand the place they came from, to teach them the history that was so ingrained in their own minds, to share the love of their country. So I created courses to accomplish all of that without parents having to do it themselves. I’m so proud of our country and I love teaching FS kiddos why they should be proud, too. I can't wait to meet your child inside U.S. History Abroad's online courses for expat kids! |