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A small globe sits on my desk, a welcome reminder of the emerging emphasis on International Studies at Friends Select. As I spin it slowly on its axis, the opportunities for connecting our students and teachers with their counterparts around the world seem vast. Already, the school has launched several new internationally-oriented programs this year, with more still in the planning stages.
- A new International Studies Speakers Series is broadening middle and upper school students’ perspectives, with presentations from organizations devoted to enhancing cross-border understanding. To date, Nancy Gilboy from the International Visitors Council and Dana Devon from the World Affairs Council have spoken at Friends Select. On Thursday, February 26, Delia Dunlap will speak about the work of Concern Worldwide, a non-governmental organization working toward the elimination of extreme poverty.
- On March 4, the first school-wide International Day will focus on Darfur and contemporary African politics. The day will begin with Meeting for Worship, followed by the screening of a documentary on Darfur. The afternoon will build on those themes with a speaker who will address issues raised by the film and small group discussions run by individual departments, with help from student leaders.
- Two trips abroad are scheduled for the remainder of this year. In March, a group of French students will travel to France with French teacher Anne Wentling. In June, a group of students will accompany Jesse Freedman, upper school history teacher and director of international programs, on a two-week trip to Taiwan. The China trip marks the launch of an anticipated exchange program with LiShan High School in Taipei. Additional destinations are being considered for trips during 2009-2010 and beyond.
- An “intersession” program is in the planning stages. This multi-day, in-depth, school-wide exploration of international topics would take place between semesters, potentially beginning in 2010.
The goals and objectives of these initiatives will be presented to the Edward E. Ford Foundation next month when Jesse Dougherty and I travel to Maine to formally apply for a grant to support programming, professional development, and travel and exchanges. If Friends Select is selected as a recipient, the foundation will match up to $50,000 of funds raised by the school.
Developing the grant proposal has helped to crystallize our vision for the future of International Studies at Friends Select. Our current curriculum provides a foundation that begins with the lower school’s exploration of African music and rhythms and continues in middle and upper school with an exploration of colonialism and the global environmental crisis.
As the school plans for the future, we are fortunate to have an engaged group of stakeholders from the extended school community. Recently, the school’s strategic planning process brought together many of these stakeholders for a full-day session, during which participants offered fresh ideas on Friends Select’s role in preparing students to interact in an increasingly interconnected world. Some of the ideas on the table include a global studies component as a graduation requirement, an emphasis on geography throughout the curriculum, and a student certificate in global leadership.
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