Global Perspectives
Friends Select School continues to enrich |
its educational experience through dynamic global studies programming. |
By expanding partnerships with schools throughout the world, Friends Select provides upper school students with opportunities for cultural exchanges and language immersions, all rooted in its commitment to cultivating global perspectives and transformative learning experiences.
“The goal is for students to develop cross-cultural competency by directly experiencing different cultures and communities,” said upper school director Chris Singler P’20, ’22, ’27. “There is an emphasis on fostering meaningful connections and broadening student perspectives, rather than just sightseeing or tourism. The programs aim to give students a deeper appreciation for how cultures and societies operate in different parts of the world.”
Germany
Over the past decade, Chris has focused on making global engagement accessible by establishing exchange partnerships with schools worldwide. The first such program launched in 2015, forging a connection with Phorms Schule in Frankfurt, Germany—a sister city to Philadelphia. This exchange program sends Friends Select students to Germany each spring while welcoming German students to Philadelphia in the fall.
Ian Lockey, upper school Latin and Ancient Greek teacher, will oversee the Phorms Schule partnership beginning this year. Ian is no stranger to international programming, having chaperoned five trips abroad with Friends Select students. He emphasized that global learning starts in the classroom, where students develop empathy and critical thinking before applying these skills abroad. “Students are introduced in all subjects to new perspectives and information that help them become better stewards of their world. They develop empathy and critical thinking skills to understand how our world works, how it is interconnected, and the issues that a globalized and colonized world faces,” Ian explained. “The privilege to travel to other countries allows our students to put those classroom skills into practice.”
This blend of classroom learning and real-world experience resonated with Friends Select alumna and former middle school soccer coach Julie Pozuollo ’19, who participated in
the Frankfurt exchange program as a student. “Seeing the things firsthand that I learned about in my history and English classes was incredible,” she reflected. “Experiencing those things in person, rather than just through a textbook or on a whiteboard, brought those lessons to life.”
Through the exchange programs and immersive language trips, students are gaining broader, more informed perspectives of the world around them. Global partnerships and international study opportunities are a vital component of Friends Select’s vision for education, reflecting the school’s dedication to integrating academic rigor with meaningful experiential learning. “The expansion of global partnerships and international study opportunities for upper school students is a key part of the school’s strategic plan,” noted Michael Gary, head of school. “These ‘pillar partnerships’ with schools outside the country are a natural outgrowth of the school’s mission and commitment to experiential learning.”
ITMAT FIRST
and Ireland
One program that exemplifies Friends Select’s global studies initiatives is ITMAT FIRST, launched in 2018 in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine’s Fitzgerald Lab and Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT). Blending cutting-edge biomedical research with cross-cultural exchange, ITMAT FIRST offers students immersive laboratory experiences at one of the world’s leading biomedical research institutions. Beyond the lab, the program fosters meaningful cultural connections: Irish students travel to Philadelphia to participate in Penn’s summer lab program while staying with Friends Select families, and Friends Select students visit Dublin, engaging in a week-long chemistry lab at Dublin City University and attending their exchange partners’ schools.
This program has provided students access to world-renowned scientists, including Nobel Prize winners Katalin Karikó, honored for her pioneering work on mRNA vaccines,
and Emmanuelle Charpentier, recognized for her ground-breaking research on CRISPR technology. The partnership has also enabled formative experiences for students, solidifying their interest in STEAM careers or revealing new possibilities. “I’ve had many students return from their Penn lab experience telling me this has confirmed their dream of wanting to be a scientist, and a couple have returned telling me they’ve discovered it’s not what they want to do. Both discoveries are equally important,” said Natalie Mayer P’32, upper school dean of academics and science teacher, who has overseen the program since its inception. Beyond the exchanges, the partnership has benefited many of Natalie’s classes by providing opportunities to tour labs and attend guest speaker series at Penn, as well as assist in running PCR (polymerase chain reaction) experiments for lab activities.
Costa Rica
In many ways, exchanges benefit the greater Friends Select community and not solely those who travel abroad. “Even if a student doesn’t sign up for one of these trips, when we have exchanges and groups of teenagers from Ireland, Mexico, Germany, or Costa Rica visit, everyone becomes curious and engaged,” said Chris. “Students naturally reach out to the visitors, and through those interactions, they start to learn a bit about another culture—just by association, by talking to them and making connections.”
For instance, last fall, Friends Select welcomed two students from Monteverde Friends School, Jose Pablo and Mariángel, who attended for the semester and stayed with Friends Select families. Naturally, upper schoolers warmly welcomed their new peers, fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion in their new environment. In late January, Friends Select students traveled to Costa Rica to participate in the program, continuing to build on the relationship with Monteverde Friends. This exciting new exchange program offers FSS students the opportunity to study for a quarter or full semester within a bilingual curriculum, guided by Quaker values, in one of the most ecologically significant regions in the world.
Mexico
Similarly, Friends Select’s recent relationship with the Harkness Institute in Puerto Vallarta offers students the chance to explore Mexico’s rich history, language, and traditions through a homestay while engaging in collaborative academic experiences. This partnership has been particularly meaningful, as the institution’s student-centered, discussion-based pedagogy aligns closely with Friends Select’s educational philosophy. This March, the upper school sent its third group of students to the Harkness Institute as part of this blossoming collaboration.
Expanding Opportunities
Looking ahead, the school is exploring potential exchanges with schools in China and Italy, further broadening its global partnerships. Friends Select has also reinvigorated its summer language immersion trips, sending students to China, Italy, and Spain to deepen their fluency and cultural understanding. These trips, open to all students regardless of their language studies, provide a “cycle” of international experiences throughout a student’s high school career.
Ultimately, the exchange programs and travel experiences are global extensions of Friends Select’s approach to education, highlighting the school’s deliberate effort to balance rigorous academics with opportunities for personal growth. “The risk at a college-prep independent school is that the focus could lean too heavily on academic growth, potentially at the expense of personal development and cultural understanding,” Chris explained. “But programs like these make it clear that we value holistic growth. We’re saying, ‘Yes, it’s worth taking students out of the classroom for a week because the benefits—building empathy, broadening perspectives, and fostering global connections—are invaluable.’ These global programs align perfectly with Friends Select’s mission to nurture the whole student, going beyond just academic achievement.”
The Russell Meddin Memorial International Scholarship Fund, established in 2022, enables Friends Select to provide need-based financial assistance for students to participate in immersive international exchanges. Created in memory of Russell Meddin P’08, '12 by his family and friends, the fund reflects his passion for international travel and learning.
