ABOUT US | academicus

About Academicus

Raising Children Abroad Takes Courage.

We’re Here to Make It Feel Like Home.

Raising your children abroad is one of the biggest adventures you can give them.

It is also, let’s be honest, one of the bravest things you can do as a parent.

You have chosen to build a life somewhere that may not speak your language, share your culture or feel completely like home. You are raising your children away from grandparents, cousins, childhood friends and the familiar village you might once have imagined surrounding your family.

And sometimes, in the middle of all that adventure, you might wonder:

Are we doing the right thing?

Will our children feel at home here?
Will they have strong roots?
Will they make friends?
Will they learn the language?
Will they feel like they belong?
Are we giving them enough?
Are we doing enough?

We know those questions because we have asked them too.

And here is what we also know:

Raising your children abroad is giving them something extraordinary.

They are growing up learning that there is more than one way to see the world.

They are hearing different languages, meeting people from different cultures and learning to navigate unfamiliar places. They are developing curiosity, adaptability, empathy, confidence and resilience - not because you sat them down and taught them these things, but because they are woven into their everyday lives.

And we know this because we lived it ourselves.

We are expat kids too.

Academicus was founded by sisters Mags and Katie, who are Polish but grew up in Australia.

Decades ago, our parents made the enormous decision to leave what they knew and raise their children on the other side of the world, in Oz.

It must have been terrifying for them (I mean, hey it was the 90-ies, no internet, no FaceTime, and traveling by plane was a big deal - people actually dressed up for the occasion!).

Our parents had no idea exactly how their decision would shape our lives.

But we do:)

And we are endlessly grateful that they took that leap.

Growing up between cultures gave us a perspective we could never have learned from a textbook. We experienced different languages, cultures, traditions and ways of living. We learned to adapt. We learned to connect with people who were different from us. We learned that home isn't always one particular place.

Those experiences became part of who we are.

And now, as mothers raising our own children abroad, we understand the other side of the story too.

Because being the child who adapts is one thing.

Being the parent responsible for creating that childhood is another.

You are the one navigating the school system in another language, finding a paediatrician, working out where to buy the things you used to take for granted, trying to understand local customs, building a new friendship circle from scratch.

And then there is the biggest job of all:

Trying to give your children a beautiful childhood while you are figuring out an entirely new life yourself.

You don't just need somewhere for your children to play.

You need a village - people who understand why you might be missing home.

People who won't look at you strangely when you say you have no idea how something works here.

People who understand the particular joy - and particular chaos - of raising children far from your family.

People to celebrate birthdays with, to swap recommendations with, to share those “is this normal?” parenting questions with.

People who become friends.

And children need that village too.

They need opportunities to explore, move, play, learn and make friends. They need spaces where different languages and cultures are celebrated. They need adults who see them as capable, curious little people and give them the confidence to discover the world for themselves.

That is why Academicus exists.

We created Academicus to be a home away from home for international families in Zurich.

A place where children can learn, play, move, explore and grow - and where parents can find connection, community and support along the way.

From our Sensory for Babies classes, to Sensory for Toddlers, Superhero Sports, Morning and Afternoon Playgroups, Reading & Writing, Holiday Camps, Family Workshops and Concerts, everything we do is designed around one simple belief:

Children thrive when they feel connected, confident and curious - and parents thrive when they feel empowered and don't have to do it all alone.

Our activities bring families together, but what happens around them is just as important.

It is the friendships that begin over a cup of coffee.

The parent who tells you which doctor they love.

The family you meet at a baby class who ends up celebrating Christmas with you.

The toddler who walks into class holding tightly onto Mum's hand and, a few weeks later, runs through the door without looking back.

The child who finds their first little friend in a new country.

The parent who arrives wondering, “Am I doing this right?” and leaves feeling a little more confident.

Since 2016, we have watched those small moments turn into something much bigger.

We have seen friendships flourish, children become more confident and independent, and families build lives that genuinely feel like their own.

And that is what we want for you.

Not just to survive your years abroad, but to truly thrive in them.

We want your children to grow up with incredible memories, strong relationships and the confidence to navigate a complicated, beautiful world.

We want them to look back one day and realise that growing up in another country wasn't something that took their childhood away from them - It gave them a bigger one.

And we want you to look back too and know that you made the brave decision to build a life somewhere new - and that you gave your children the gift of seeing the world from more than one perspective.

You may have moved countries.

You may be far from home.

But you don't have to raise your children alone.