Global Studies
We believe that effective global education results from a rigorous academic program of interdisciplinary courses balanced by a strong experiential component. Sewickley Academy's Global Studies program is designed to provide such a framework for our students by challenging them to look beyond themselves and their immediate environment in order to become informed and conscientious citizens of the world. Students involved in the Global Studies Program demonstrate curiosity, a willingness to try new things, the ability to work collaboratively in a peer or group setting, and an interest in service learning and cross-cultural exploration.
The Global Studies curriculum teaches students about the world, focusing on the history, politics, economics, technology, society, linguistics, and ecological interconnectedness of nations from around the globe. Through the program, students learn to recognize and understand the interrelationships among international organizations, nation-states, economic entities, socio-cultural groups and individuals, and the strategic role of the United States in international relations. They communicate with people of different cultures in their own languages or in shared languages.
Lower School
The Lower School's Global Studies program provides opportunities for Academy students to create relationships with students from other countries (Romania, Haiti, France, Taiwan, Mexico, Switzerland) through webcam technology and pen pal programs. These relationships foster cultural awareness in our students and help to dispel cultural stereotypes. Through the study of diverse cultures, past and present, students in the Lower School begin to understand the historical connection to today's modern societies.
Middle School
Building on what they learn in the Lower School, Middle School students apply what they know through exposure to cultures other than their own through outreach programs, exchanges, and international trips. Grade 6 students apply their research and writing skills to the independent study of a single country, which is showcased in the Sixth Grade World's Fair. Middle School students have the opportunity to participate in trips and exchanges to Spain, Romania, Quebec, Domincan Republic, and France. Students also participate in the NAIS web-based program called Challenge 20/20, which pairs classes at any grade level (K-12) from schools in the U.S. with their counterpart classes in schools in other countries. The teams tackle real global issues to find solutions that can be implemented at the local level and in their own communities.
Senior School
The goal of the Senior School's Global Studies program is to immerse students in diverse social, economic, and political cultures to prepare them to be effective, open, and engaged citizens of the world.
In addition to various classroom and non-classroom requirements, students are required to participate in an approved international experience for approximately four weeks or more. Senior School students are provided with the opportunity to participate in a home stay in another country, an experience which deepens the cultural immersion and allows them to engage in community service initiatives that directly affect the host country. During the 2009-2010, Senior School students will have the opportunity to travel to Quebec, Spain, South Africa, Japan, India, Italy, Ireland, and Ecuador. Trips to Romania and France took place this past summer.
As a culmination to the Global Studies program, students research and present a project based on a global issue or artistic endeavor as a capstone to their experience in the Global Studies program.
