“Global Thesis equipped me with skills that serve me to this day. I am much more aware of a public speaker’s responsibility to engage his or her audience. I draw from the program’s help with formulating an argument each time I write a paper in college”

Charlie Salmans, ’13, Political Science Major in The University of Chicago.

 

From the Director

Welcome!

The World Perspectives Program offers students at GFA opportunities to develop the skills and knowledge necessary for effective global citizenship. Learning about foreign cultures begins in kindergarten, where our students get their first exposure to “world perspectives” by studying the Maasai culture. By the time students graduate, they have traveled or studied abroad, attained fluency in at least one foreign language, and grappled with the complexities of our globalized world in their academic work.

Students with a special interest in global affairs can pursue a Diploma with a Concentration in Global Studies. This concentration is offered through the Global Studies Department, which also offers courses such as Global Thesis, International Relations, also taught in Spanish, Challenge 20/20, Arabic Language and Culture, and Big Histories of the World, a new course that takes a truly global view of world history.

International travel opportunities are available for all students to immerse themselves in the issues and perspectives of other cultures. Off-campus study programs are available to sophomores and juniors for a semester or a year. Faculty members can apply for summer travel grants to study a specific area of interest that will enrich the life of their classroom.

All of these opportunities contribute to making Greens Farms Academy a vibrant community where students can prepare for life in today’s global reality. We invite you to explore this website to learn more about the program.

Jihad Mirza

Director of the World Perspectives Program

Global Studies Department Chair

 

After GFA

Students who graduate with Concentration in Global Studies have a wide range of interests and career aspirations. The majority of them pursues careers in political science, international affairs, environmental studies, or business management in universities such as Stanford University, Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Chicago, Georgetown University, and St. Andrews, among others.

Faculty

The World Perspectives Program draws from the work of many faculty in multiple departments at GFA. The following faculty are directly involved with coordinating the program, teaching courses, and running extracurricular programs around world perspectives.

Ward Abel is the Assistant Director of World Perspectives and Global Studies. He teaches Spanish in the Upper School and is an advisor in the Global Thesis course.

Claire Bouyssie is the World Perspectives Coordinator in the Middle School. She teaches French and Spanish in the Middle School.

Katie Mack is the World Perspectives Coordinator in the Lower School. She teaches 2nd grade.

Victor Llanque is the World Perspectives Coordinator in the Upper School. He teaches global studies, international relations, economics and world history.

Faculty Travel

Every year, GFA supports faculty travel through the “Faculty Enrichment Travel Grant,” which aims to provide travel as a rich opportunity to broaden the scope of–or give deeper understanding to–one’s area of teaching. Faculty have traveled to places like Rwanda, Israel, Mongolia, and France, among many others.