Founded by M. Crist Fleming in 1956, TASIS The American School in Switzerland is a day and boarding school committed to creating global citizens through education, travel, and service. The oldest American boarding school in Europe, TASIS celebrated its 60th anniversary during the summer of 2016.TASIS welcomes students from Pre-Kindergarten (starting at age three) through grade 12 and also has a Postgraduate program. 750+ students make up the Elementary, Middle, and High Schools, with approximately 260 students between ages 11–19 living in dormitories on campus.TASIS is distinguished by both its diversity and its unity. The student body represents more than 60 nationalities and speaks more than 30 different mother tongues. Cultural differences are celebrated as students challenge and inspire one another to become global citizens. Students leave TASIS with links to a vibrant worldwide community that celebrates the unique nature of this remarkable place. High School students can choose from individual Advanced Placement courses or pursue the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, helping them receive offers from more than 500 universities in more than 20 nations over the past 10 years. The School offers an extensive Fine Arts program that includes courses in Drama, Music, and the Visual Arts, enabling aspiring artists of any ilk to find their creative voice and nurture their talent. The Elementary School supplements the Core Knowledge curriculum with the Singapore Math program, a robust English as an Additional Language program, and an Italian section—preparing all students for academic success at the next level. Accredited by the European Council of International Schools (ECIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), TASIS is proud to employ gifted, passionate educators who encourage intellectual curiosity. More than 75 percent of the faculty hold advanced degrees.The campus includes more than 25 buildings dating from the 17th century Villa De Nobili to the state-of-the-art Campo Science Center, which opened in 2014. Perched on a hillside in sunny southern Switzerland with commanding views of snow-capped mountains, palm trees, and Lake Lugano, the School's enviable location makes possible an impressive Academic Travel program. Travel experiences throughout the year bring students face-to-face with the rich cultural heritage of Europe and the spectacular natural beauty of the Alps and beyond.The School’s pioneering Global Service Program transforms lives by providing every High School student with a unique opportunity to connect across borders—whether geographic, economic, or social—through comprehensive experiences that build empathy and encourage personal responsibility. The Program awakens students to humanitarian needs; inspires them to build enduring, mutually beneficial relationships; and leads them toward a life of active service and committed service.TASIS encourages physical fitness and healthy lifestyles. Varsity sports teams compete throughout Switzerland and Europe, and a variety of other fitness activities are offered to cater to all interests. Each year also brings many opportunities to ski and explore the breathtaking Alps.Each summer, hundreds of students aged 4–18 journey to Lugano for the TASIS Summer Programs, which feature intensive academic courses, an unparalleled performing arts program, thrilling outdoor adventures, advanced sports training, and exciting cultural excursions around Europe.

The identity aspect of the Papal College is in fact guaranteed by the concern to introduce young people to a knowledge of the world, of life and of man, in which the spiritual dimension finds its place. Recurrences such as Christmas and Easter are emphasized with significant meetings that help students to reflect on issues such as solidarity with poor countries, the suffering of peoples at war, etc... Collegio Papio was founded in 1584 by Cardinal Carlo Borromeo thanks to a legacy bequeathal by Bartolomeo Papio, a patrician from Ascona who went Rome. The centuries-old history of the College has been very eventful; many different religious orders have succeeded each other in its running over the years, the last of which were the Benedictines of Einsiedeln (1924-1964) who ended the long papal era. In fact, in 1965, the College passed to the Diocese of Lugano. The origins of the present scholastic structure date back to the 1920s, when the Benedictine Fathers of Einsiedeln gave new impetus to the College and succeeded in obtaining the organisation of the Federal Secondary School ("Matura") Examination in Locarno. Currently the Collegio Papio has an equalized middle school and a high school that prepares for the Swiss Baccalaureate Examination. For some years now, it has also been offering a preparation course for the Passerella exam, aimed at students who have obtained the Professional Maturity Certificate and intend to continue their studies at university. The College also offers a personalized curriculum for talents, be they sportsmen, musicians or others. The only school in Canton Ticino to offer both male and female internships, the College has extended its schedule in recent years to also cover weekends, thus meeting the needs of the growing number of foreign students. In addition to the ancient parts of the structure, the Renaissance cloister and the seventeenth-century garden, the Collegio has added modern facilities for the benefit of students including a swimming pool, gym and technologically advanced science laboratory classrooms. The educational vanguard of the College is guaranteed not only by a qualified and continuously trained teaching staff, but also by a good supply of scientific and computer instruments and an exclusive range of offers: early English at the Middle School, language exchanges at private schools in the French and German-speaking area, international language certificates, participation in study weeks organized by the Science and Youth Foundation, Kangourou mathematics competitions, etc.. An offer, therefore, that stimulates talent, but also supported by support tools such as assisted studies, the time of introduction to the study and the Tutor in ninth grade. The Collegio Papio Foundation, established in 2008, guarantees the management of the company with careful financial, marketing and scholarship management, which ensures that families with low incomes also attend the Collegio. Particular attention is paid to the management of the staff; periodic individual interviews are aimed at fostering individual development and the consequently enrichment of the group. The Foundation is also engaged in infrastructure improvement; the start of the next school year will see the opening of the New Wing comprising kitchen and canteen facilities.