Amerigo Education Responds to COVID-19 Impact

The Leading US Boarding Program Provider Takes Protective Measures to Safeguard Students' Health and Safety in the U.S. 

CHICAGO, March 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Amerigo Education, the leading provider of comprehensive boarding programs for international students, today shared its strategies to help protect students' health and wellbeing during the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19.) Amerigo started taking proactive steps when the epidemic first surfaced in China back in late January, including placing students in quarantine as needed and providing health guidance and precaution protocols across all Amerigo campuses. As the situation escalated, Amerigo implemented comprehensive protective measures and started daily and real-time communications with parents to provide complete transparency. In light of potential travel restrictions across the globe, it also introduced two new programs, Start Anywhere and Get Ahead, providing students with flexibility while staying on track with their academic endeavors during these highly unusual and challenging times.

Consistent, Efficient and Immediate Support for Students 24/7

"This is a time of unprecedented uncertainty, and we are doing everything we can to ensure our students are fully supported and being taken care of by our well-trained staff," said Craig Pines, CEO of Amerigo. "All Amerigo campuses are staffed 24/7 by members of our residential team, who have rapidly implemented necessary health guidelines and protocols advised by medical experts, stocked up on essential campus supplies, established campus activity guidelines and implemented best practices on personal hygiene. We aspire to provide the best support to help our students preserve their mental and physical health during this challenging time."  

The impact of COVID-19 has resulted in school closures across the U.S., including all Amerigo campuses.  Amerigo anticipated this necessary step would be taken and acted to ensure all student residences remain open and fully staffed. All Amerigo students have been shifted to an online learning environment, where they continue their studies in a safe environment for the completion of the spring term. Amerigo also supplements the online coursework with its own academic support, university guidance program and English language learning support. All the Amerigo staff has been working around the clock to keep the learning experience productive and positive for students. 

Quickly Adapting Amid the Pandemic, with Students' Best Interest at Heart  

In the midst of uncertainties brought by COVID-19, Amerigo continues to adapt quickly, with students' best interest at heart. When one of the Amerigo students was unable to return to the U.S. after going back to Wuhan for Chinese New Year, Amerigo quickly developed a customized study plan to ensure this student could complete his/her remaining studies and receive credits to remain on track for graduation.

To alleviate concerns regarding travel and/or visa restrictions in the coming months, Amerigo introduced two new programs to provide students with flexible options for studying abroad. The Start Anywhere Program gives Amerigo students who are unable to travel to the U.S. for the start of the Fall 2020 school term the option to begin their coursework online, where in addition to a full academic curriculum, they will receive English language learning and university advising as if they were on-campus in the U.S.. More information about Start Anywhere can be found here: https://bit.ly/2xrQZKk

Get Ahead, which is a 4-to-6 week-long program offered as part of Amerigo's Summer Academy, will allow students to spend their summer break in the U.S. alongside fellow Amerigo students and staff members. For students who wish to remain in the U.S. over the summer to avoid potential travel restrictions, the program helps students keep up with their studies through advanced courses and university preparation. For more information about Get Ahead, please click here: https://bit.ly/39jsQmL

Transparent, Real-time and Direct Communications with Parents

The health and safety of Amerigo students remains the highest priority for the entire Amerigo community. To further address parents' concerns regarding their children's safety, Amerigo started publishing daily communications related to the dynamic and stressful situation caused by COVID-19. It now provides daily updates including local advisories, the latest campus safety protocols, information on student health insurance, spring break arrangements and information for students considering traveling back to their home countries. The feedback from parents has been very positive, with one of parents sharing the following comments:

"We really appreciate the effort Amerigo makes to help keep our children safe and healthy. Receiving daily updates from you really helps reassure us in this very difficult time. We hope all the Amerigo staff and teachers stay safe and healthy while they take care of our children!"  

Having an open and direct communication channel with parents has always been essential for Amerigo. Amerigo believes that a joint effort with parents creates the most supportive learning environment for students, especially for adolescents studying abroad. In addition to sending out monthly student scorecards to parents with updates on students' learning progress, extracurricular participation and acculturation, Amerigo also creates and maintains chat groups with parents to provide real-time updates and address parent concerns. 

About Amerigo

Amerigo supports international students at high performing, private U.S. high schools by utilizing a holistic approach that emphasizes excellent academic outcomes within a nurturing boarding environment. The company provides supplemental academic support, English language development, university guidance, mentorship and cultural immersion to prepare international students with the skills, values and care required to succeed in high school, at the university level and beyond. For more information, visit amerigoeducation.com.

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