Training Tomorrow’s Global Citizens Global Online Academy and School Year Abroad programs offer a window into other cultures and perspectives. By Joe Tash
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“It’s really neat for students this age to think in that global context,” says Gretchen Gleason, director of college counseling at Bishop’s and liaison to both the SYA and GOA programs. “It fits our mission of raising globally aware citizens.” The Bishop’s School is among the leading independent schools in the U.S. and abroad that are members of both the SYA and GOA organizations. Under the SYA program, Bishop’s students can elect to live for a full academic year in Italy, Spain, France or China. Students live with a host family, and they take academic courses such as math and English to meet their graduation requirements, while also having the opportunity to take electives in the language of their host country. Financial aid is offered on an as-needed basis both by Bishop’s and SYA. Bishop’s offers classes in Chinese, French and Spanish, as well as Latin, so students may have some experience
with the language of their study abroad country, although that is not required. GOA also connects Bishop’s students with people and places around the world, although they never have to leave campus. Due to the School’s membership in GOA, Bishop’s students can take GOA classes at no cost. The courses are taught online, with interaction between students and teachers via video programs such as Skype, as well as online texting and chat services. For the current school year, five students are studying abroad through SYA, while 13 are taking online courses through GOA. The number of students participating in the two programs varies from year to year. Following are the stories of three students who are studying abroad this year: Sofia Rubio ’19, France; Cameron Devoe ’19, China; and Kiara Jackson ’18, Italy. Photo of the Grand Canal, Venice, Italy, by Kiara Jackson ’18
15 Training Tomorrow’s Global Citizens
ne pillar of The Bishop’s School program is preparing students to thrive and become leaders in today’s inter-connected world by providing them with the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to be global citizens in the 21st century. Two programs offered to upper school students—Global Online Academy (GOA) and School Year Abroad (SYA)—allow students to interact with people across the U.S. and in countries around the world, deepening their understanding of other cultures and enhancing their ability to use technology as a learning tool. The two programs give students the flexibility to pursue their interests, whether they want to fully immerse themselves in another culture or dip a toe in the water by taking an online course with an international roster of students and teachers.