Pierce renews its "International School Award accreditation"!

We are delighted to announce the successful renewal of the Full International School Award (ISA) accreditation from the British Council for the 2026–2029 period.

This distinction recognizes Pierce’s systematic effort to foster international awareness and collaboration among students and educators through educational initiatives and partnerships with the global community.

Pierce – The American College of Greece has received full accreditation from the British Council (British Council International School Award – Full Accreditation) for integrating international elements into its curriculum. The International School Award is a global certification that recognizes a school’s commitment to shaping the global citizens of tomorrow while also giving its curriculum an international dimension, placing the school within a broader global community. The International School Award’s accreditation framework evaluates the following areas:

• Staff Development: Training and professional growth (supporting teachers in preparing for participation in international activities).
• Partnerships with Other Schools: Programs, activities, and communication.
• Curriculum-based Activities: Developing activities across a wide range of subjects.
• Community Engagement: Involving the broader community, including parents, businesses, and social programs.

The accreditation is valid for three years (2015-18, 2018-21, 2022-25 and 2026-29). To achieve it, each school submits evidence of its international activities and their impact on students.

We continue to shape students with broad horizons and respect for diversity, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to actively participate in a world without borders.

Pierce – The American College of Greece is a member of the global network of schools under the ISTA (International Schools Theater Association). ISTA is a non-profit, international cultural and recognized charitable organization based in southern England. It is a community of young people, educators, and artists that provides high-quality experiences aimed at fostering creative learning and internationalism through theater, with a focus on diversity, collaboration, celebration, play, friendship, and community.

In this context, ISTA organizes over 50 international arts events annually for young people, educators, and artists while also offering continuous professional development opportunities for teachers and artists.

Through theater workshops and other artistic activities, students collaborate with peers from other countries, exchanging views on art and culture. Students are hosted by families of the organizing school in the host country, forming friendships and creating artistic compositions while understanding the deeper meaning of art.

Pierce students have participated in:

• The 2013 ISTA event hosted at the American Collegiate Institute (ACI) in Izmir, Turkey.
• The spring 2014 ISTA event hosted at the Takev School, also in Izmir.
• The fall 2014 ISTA event hosted at Brannel School in Cornwall, England.

In May 2015, Pierce – The American College of Greece had the honor of hosting the ISTA Festival for the first time in Greece. The festival welcomed 100 students from 7 schools across 5 countries to Pierce from May 7 to May 10 for a creative four-day event. 

Pierce – The American College of Greece has been an accredited examination center for MSU (Michigan State University) since 2009. It offers exams for the Certificate of English Language Competency (B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference) and the Certificate of English Language Proficiency (C2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference).

Junior Achievement Greece (JA Greece) is a non-profit organization and a member of the global education and entrepreneurship network Junior Achievement Worldwide. It implements the organization's educational programs in Greece with a vision to help young people create their own job opportunities through experiential and collaborative learning programs.

Pierce participates in JA’s educational programs to familiarize students with the concept of entrepreneurship through an experiential learning process, preparing them for entry into the modern global business and economic arena. In collaboration with the School’s educators and corporate professionals, students gain exposure to the world of business, broaden their horizons, and enhance their skills.

Junior Achievement programs have been recognized by the European Union’s Entrepreneurship Office as the "Best Practice in Entrepreneurship Education."

Since 2013, Pierce has been actively participating in the European Code Week (CodeWeek) initiative. The aim is to promote creativity, develop problem-solving strategies, and foster collaboration through programming. European Code Week is a volunteer-driven movement in Europe, supported by the European Commission, that seeks to make coding accessible to everyone in a fun and engaging way.

With the support of the College’s computer science educators and IT professionals, students have the opportunity each year to challenge perspectives, enhance skills, and expand their knowledge in an era where learning to code is closely tied to understanding our rapidly evolving world, discovering new ideas, and driving innovation.

Over the years, Pierce’s computer science educators have implemented a wide range of activities, including:

• Visits to organizations such as Microsoft.
• Afternoon coding activities led by students.
• Presentations by IT industry experts.
• Collaborative initiatives across all academic departments.
• Classroom projects that highlight coding as a mindset rather than just a computer science subject.

In recognition of these efforts, Pierce – The American College of Greece has been officially certified as an activity organizer by the volunteer movement of European Code Week.