Global Programs

Mission Statement

Windward School strives to prepare our students for effective participation in the global community.

Through academic, co-curricular, and extracurricular opportunities to learn about different perspectives and cultures, students will utilize 21st-century skills, such as inquiry, collaboration, communication, leadership, and problem-solving. In doing so, Windward will ensure that it remains a welcoming and inclusive community whose graduates are knowledgeable, compassionate, and prepared citizens of the world. Beyond these goals for all students, Windward offers the designation of "Global Scholar" to those students who choose to deepen the global focus that is part of Windward's overall program.

Meet the Director

Richard Bailey
Director of Global Programs
rbailey@windwardschool.org

Windward Global Education Goals

Students will exhibit cross-cultural understanding and appreciation of the commonalities and differences between peoples and regions.
Students will develop the linguistic, cultural, and technological skills necessary to productively engage with other peoples, cultures, regions, and economies.
Through global awareness, students will realize their own place in the world as global citizens.
Through community awareness, partnerships, and leadership initiatives, students will demonstrate active service and meaningful practice in the promotion of equity and justice, locally and globally.
Students will apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills in a variety of contexts in order to effectively confront and address global issues.
Students will demonstrate curiosity, adaptability, and initiative in order to be both contributors to and leaders in a global society.

Innovative Interdisciplinary Work

Global Studies Honors

This course develops student understandings of the connections between contemporary global challenges and historical events and trends. Global Studies Honors students approach learning with the intention of debating and developing historically informed responses to these contemporary challenges. The approach is centered on thematic units on topics such as genocide and migration.

These units build on the historical content in order to approach a related contemporary issue using innovative and often collaborative approaches such as design thinking, international policy development simulation, and case study analysis. Course units frequently culminate in innovative, collaborative projects facilitated by the Director of Global Studies and/or outside experts.

Application Process

Students can apply for the Global Scholars Program during the second semester of 10th Grade. The Spring 2023 application for rising 9th and 10th Graders can be accessed here.

Spring 2023 Application
While any student may enroll in any of our global classes and may participate in activities and opportunities sponsored by the Global Program, in order to earn the designation of “Global Scholar” on one’s transcript, the following requirements must be met.

Required Core Classes/Responsibilities
Global Action and Leadership Requirements

Required Core Classes/Responsibilities

10th Grade:

Global Studies Honors (in either 10th Grade or 11th Grade)
Global Service (see Leadership and Action)
Meeting with a Global mentor after admission to the program

11th Grade:

Global Studies Honors (in either 10th Grade or 11th Grade)
Global Service (see Leadership and Action)
Meeting twice during the year with a Global mentor

12th Grade:

All Windward students are required to take an Honors Capstone course in the 12th Grade.
Global Scholars may fulfill this requirement in any Honors Capstone with an approved Capstone project which addresses an issue of global focus.
Meeting twice during the year with a Global mentor

Additional Course Opportunities to demonstrate Global Scholarship: Global Scholars must take one GOA course and the equivalent of three additional full credit classes from the following:

A course through the Global Online Academy: one GOA course is required for all Global Scholars. GOA courses appear on the Windward transcript, but are offered through GOA for additional tuition. The tuition varies by course, and is generally $500 to $1,000. An additional GOA course may count toward the three additional Global classes.
Honors History: America and the World
A World Language course at AP or Level 5
A second World Language once first language is completed up to Level 3
Honors Global Economics
AP European History
AP Comparative Government and Politics
AP Art History
Environmental Science
Acting Techniques and Scene Study and Advanced Theater Ensemble
Advanced Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Chamber Music Ensemble, and Chromatics
Dance 4 or Dance 4 Honors
AP Statistics
Any Visual Arts class beyond Level 2 Please Note: Students can earn global credit for these classes only when the class is not being taken to fulfill a Windward graduation requirement in the arts. (All Windward students are required to take two years of Visual or Performing Arts. A student doubling up in one of these classes or taking one of these classes in the Junior or Senior year will receive global credit.)
Think Differently
Model United Nations
Debate, Public Speaking, and Rhetoric (9-12)
Leadership: Civic Engagement
A globally designated section of AP English Literature and Composition

Global Action and Leadership Requirements

In coordination with the regular process of course selection through the College Preparatory or Collegiate Division, candidates for the Global Scholar designation will work with a Global Scholar mentor to plan the extracurricular activities by which they will demonstrate that they have exceeded the global competencies achieved by all Windward graduates. Global Scholar mentors will help identify, design, fulfill, and document the extracurricular components of the program:

Travel and Culture (select two “Level One” experiences or one “Level Two” experience):

Level One Options:

Take an international trip through Windward or another approved organization (one-week minimum)
Host an international student (non-family member) through an approved organization (one-week minimum)
Volunteer or intern with an approved global organization (hours in addition to the Windward baseline requirement to be determined in consultation with the student’s Global mentor)
Attend four approved Global events during Grades 10-12

Level Two Options:

Engage in an approved language and/or cultural immersion trip, either through Windward or some other organization (one-week minimum)
Attend a language immersion summer camp or program such as Middlebury-Monterey, Concordia Language Village, School Year Abroad, etc. (two-week minimum)

Leadership and Service:

Volunteer or intern with an approved global organization or initiative for at least 10 hours (i.e. half of the the student’s required hours for Windward Graduation). Must be completed prior to the beginning of Senior year.

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