SEWICKLEY ACADEMY

Prepares Students to Succeed in the Global Economy

By Vanessa Orr

As the world continues to grow and more interdependent and different cultures come together to create a global economy, it is especially important that tomorrow’s leaders (today’s students) are prepared to work in this new frontier. Sewickley Academy, established in 1838, is taking the lead in creating a curriculum and a culture that encourages exploration of the greater world.

“Last year we established a task force to study the concept of global education at the Academy,” explained Claudia Gallant, assistant head of school for academic affairs. “The end result is that we have begun to design a global studies certificate program, a concentration embodied in new as well as already established courses in global citizenship.”

Part of the global education program, which will be launched in 2008, is the opportunity for students to participate in exchange programs in which they visit other countries and become immersed in the culture while working together with students from partner schools on projects of service to the school or the community. While the school currently has exchange programs in place with high schools in Lyon, France and Munich, Germany, plans are underway to establish more exchange programs in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Pittsburgh’s sister city, Wuhan, China.

“The ultimate goal of our global studies program will be to provide every student with the opportunity to undergo a substantial experience overseas,” said Kolia O’Connor, head of school. “Through the curriculum employed in our lower, middle and senior schools, we hope to help our students better understand the world in which they live.”

Sewickley Academy is an independent day school, enrolling approximately 800 students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12. Students come from 53 different school districts in western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. The school’s rigorous college-preparatory curriculum emphasizes academics, the arts, and athletics. Students come from all socioeconomic strata, with resources made available to families who qualify for help with tuition.

“The school is currently providing 122 families with financial support to help defray the cost of tuition,” said O’Connor, who adds that $1.4 million in grants helps to make an Academy education possible for families who might not otherwise be able to afford it. “People who think ‘private school is not a place for me’ because of the cost should talk to us; we are committed to helping qualified students attend.”

In pre-kindergarten, children are introduced to the French and Spanish languages, and may choose either language or German in the middle school. This fall, Sewickley Academy is also adding Mandarin Chinese to its list of languages offered. “We thought that culturally and politically, it was an important addition to our curriculum,” explained O’Connor of the language that will be offered to students beginning in the ninth grade. “It also ties in well to our existing relationship with Wuhan School in China.”

According to O’Connor, students have already begun communicating with their counterparts in Wuhan through an intercontinental classroom established by a Sewickley Academy teacher who traveled to China to teach English. Through the video/audio hookup, students in Pennsylvania can interact in real time with Chinese students, despite the 12-hour time difference. “We sit down for breakfast here, which is dinner there, and communicate with Wuhan School No. 3,” said O’Connor. “It’s very exciting for students, and for adults, to interact across 12 times zones, half a world away.”

When students do travel to other countries, it is hoped that they will participate in activities that make a contribution to the communities that they visit. “Our exchange programs are not tourist opportunities,” said O’Connor. “This is not about privileged American kids going abroad. The students we send to other countries are passionate about their personal growth, and want to contribute to the welfare of others.”

According to Gallant, it is never too early to begin preparing students to take part in the global workplace. “We have children in pre-kindergarten who will be taking jobs when they graduate that haven’t even been imagined,” she said. “That’s why we not only focus on preparing them for college, but also on building the capacity for students to function effectively in a global economy. They will need very specific skill sets to engage successfully in the intercultural workplace.”

“The U.S. is no longer working in isolation,” she added. “We are working with thousands of people in hundreds of countries who all have different values and backgrounds. Our students will need to be able to interact with people who are different from them and bring a truly inclusive world view to bear on problems that are presented to them in the jobs of the future.”

By immersing students in other cultures, Sewickley Academy hopes to provide its students with the foundations that will support them and the skills they’ll need to be both successful college students and employees in the global economy, as well as continue to instill its core values of character, educational vigor, diversity and community in all of its graduates. “When young people are immersed in other cultures, it is transformative,” said O’Connor. “You see personal qualities emerge that may not have been at the forefront before, such as confidence and the ability to easily interact with others.

“We are committed to providing students with adaptive, creative problem-solving skills that will allow them to work well in groups and across cultures,” he added. “We want them to become highly successful adults.”