HOUSTON -- A Houston school is giving ambitious students a chance to see the world in a brand-new way, KPRC Local 2 reported Friday.

Teenagers are getting a jump-start on college and their careers by learning about and traveling to other countries.

The Houston Academy of International Studies, which opened in August, is not your typical high school.

Students such as Autumn Dickens attend because they want an education that guarantees a better understanding of the world, of other cultures and of languages.

But with a small student body and a focused curriculum, students know that they will be giving up a few things in return.

"Like the sports and the cheerleading and the pep rallies, but it's not that much. You make sacrifices for what you really want to do, and I think this is a good one," Dickens said.

The principal of the academy, Melissa Jacobs-Thibaut, said students are required to take four years of language -- either Spanish or Mandarin Chinese.

They also participate in unique activities such as mock United Nations meetings.

Through a partnership with the Houston Independent School District, Houston Community College, Asia Society and Houston A-Plus Challenge, students can earn up to 18 college credit hours tuition-free.

In Houston, students are being trained to think globally -- something their teachers say will put them a step ahead not only when they go to college, but when they go to start their careers, as well.

There are also a number of opportunities for students to study abroad.

Dickens is headed to Italy this summer.

The principal said parents are already noticing a difference in their children.

"They say, 'My child's watching the news for the first time and they want to discuss politics with me and they never did that before.' So, we are sparking an interest, (but) have a long way to go," Jacobs-Thibaut said.

The academy is an open-enrollment charter school opened to all students zoned for HISD.

They are accepting applications for ninth-graders and have a few spots open for 10th-graders.

School officials said their mission is to train students for an active role as global citizens in their communities and in the world as a whole.

For more information, visit the school's Web site at www.houstonais.org. To fill out an application, visit www.houstonais.org/admission.htm.