At King School, the global education program is dedicated to preparing responsible global citizens by providing students with the mindset, skills, and resources they need to engage actively and ethically in the global community. Through our K-12 curriculum, King Faculty educate students to appreciate their shared humanity while they investigate the world, and recognize their own and others’ perspectives. In the classroom and through experiential cultural, language, and service programs, students develop their understanding of the world and of globalization, so that they can recognize the need for their participation in ethical, cultural, socio-economic, political, scientific, ethnic, religious, and environmental issues.
Global Education at King School prepares students for rapidly changing world demands that we provide them with specific content knowledge and teach them to commit to service and to the environment. Students have the opportunity to become fluent in one or more world languages, assume leadership roles, and acquire skills to work collaboratively with people of diverse backgrounds.
The Program includes the following practices and outcomes for students:
Starting in Grade 9 or 10, students can choose to engage in an intensive study of global problems and responses: environmental, socio-economic, diplomatic, and intellectual. Students who follow this course of study can choose to graduate with a Global Studies Distinction.
King School has been working closely with Global Citizen's Initiative (GCI) with a common goal to prepare students to function across cultures, and to become citizens of the world. Four King students participated in the one-year long GCI fellowship since 2015. The fellowship equips young global citizens with the mindset, skills, and resources necessary to become effective and ethical global leaders. This summer, GCI launched its first professional development seminar for educators to learn the GCI method during the GCI Youth Summit. Educators learn to design and implement an ethics-based leadership curriculum grounded on project-and discussion-based methodologies.
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Citizenship: United States, Japan
"My parents are happily married and I get along extremely well with my siblings, so I can say I was raised surrounded by love. This family dynamic is the main thing that affects me as a person. My mother and I have the textbook definition of a love/hate relationship. From her, I’ve learned that I can always be better. My father has had the greatest impact on my character and personality. This is because he’s my greatest role model and I strive to be as amazing as he is. He is extremely laid-back, independent-minded, hardworking, and sociable. I take my role as the oldest sibling extremely seriously. I think it’s important for me to be someone that they can look up to. They inspire me to be the best I can be so that I may be a positive role model to them in the way that my father is to me."
Citizenship: United States, United Kingdom, Russia
"At 3 years old, I was adopted from Irkutsk, Russia. Although it took stacks of paperwork and approvals, a long process through the tough and intimidating Russian courts, and 5 trips, my parents were determined to get me out of that orphanage and into our family. It is because of their fight that I understand my own life as an opportunity to apply that same determination to give others that same chance. My parents have helped to show me the value of an education in becoming a curious and independent thinker. Whether it's because of the story of my background or how I was raised, I've always found it fascinating to learn the stories of others, and how aspects of people's experiences have come to formulate what they believe. To me, there's always something to be learned from every person and their experiences."
Below is a list of our international programs for the 2019-2020 school year. Programs and destinations change each year to provide students with a wide range of cultural and/or service experiences abroad.
Parents & Students, please login to access the International Travel resources including itineraries and permission slips.
Window into the world
Window into the World are multidisciplinary, all-school events that bring musicians, artists, film producers, and heritage speakers into classes and on stage to provide instructive workshops.
Global Classroom at the United Nations
King partners with the International Cinema Education organization (I.C.E.) to offer an annual Global Classroom. The Global Classroom is a tailor-made program for high school students which uses films, literature and private U.N. briefings as catalysts to facilitate discussions about international events, global finance, cross-cultural affairs, and critical thinking
Guest Speaker Series
Guest speakers enable students to understand a global challenge through memorable testimonies and meaningful analyses by experts. Prior speakers are from Sudan, Rwanda, Afghanistan, and the United Nations.
Congratulations to Will Hall-Tipping '20 on being selected as a Global Citizens Initiative (GCI) Fellow 2019. "'I've always found it fascinating to learn the stories of others, and how aspects of people's experiences have come to formulate what they believe. To me, there's always something to be learned from every person and their experiences."
Congratulations to Milei Wyatt '21 on being selected as a Global Citizens Initiative (GCI) Fellow 2019. According to the GCI website, "Fellows are participants in the GCI Fellowship. They are outstanding and engaged global citizens from around the world with an innate commitment to build a better tomorrow and catalyze positive change."
A group of US students and chaperones are discovering the magic and history of Athens. On Day 1, they climbed the Acropolis rock and visited the Parthenon, home of Athena, goddess of wisdom.
It was a quick trip around the United States for visitors on Wednesday, May 22, as they attended the The Grade 4 State Fair. To prepare for the Fair, each student chose a state to research in class, using many different sources including books and websites. They created a poster board for the state and brought in props and a special food from their region for their audience to sample. The State Research Project is multi-disciplinary, with the learning crossing into special classes.
Our first Spanish assembly was truly successful as it met all the goals we hoped to achieve. It allowed the students to practice their Spanish and learn about a very important topic; that of environmental conservation and the ways we can take part in helping reduce our carbon footprint.
The King Community took a trip around the world last week and never left the LS gymnasium. It was an afternoon filled with memories of faraway places where the roots of our community began; delicious food once shared by families much like our own; and the differences that bring us together.
The US Gymnasium was transformed into a processing plant on Wednesday, March 6, as Diana Degnan '20 lead the charge to pack over 100,000 meals for the Feed My Starving Children organization and feed nearly 300 children for a year. At the end of the day, Middle and Upper School students and Staffulty helped exceed the goal and packed 101,304 meals (469 boxes) in total. This ambitious undertaking was part of Diana's Capstone Project for Global Studies and the effects of her work will be felt thousands of miles away.
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award program is designed around four sections: community service, physical fitness, skill development, and adventurous journey. Grethe completed all four sections of the Award as well as undertook a residential component in Cambodia. Grethe, and her fellow recipients, will be presented with the Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award in one of the Royal palaces in London in the presence of a member of the Royal family.
Last summer, Laura Bowe, History Faculty, traveled to Vienna on a Faculty Sabbatical, to explore psychology and the lives of Sigmund Freud and Viktor Frankl. Ms. Bowe's sabbatical is one of many ways in which King supports a top quality Professional Growth and Development (PG&D) program, which is a cornerstone of our success.
High school delegates from over 50 countries converged on Boston last weekend and 23 King students were in attendance as they participated in the 66th session of the Harvard Model United Nations Conference (HMUN). The highlights for our King team were our acceptances in five application-only specialized agencies, our award recipients in three of these five specialized agencies, our award recipients in a large GA committee, and our special award recipient in the Social Impact project.
The Grade 8 exchange program with the Greenwich Japanese School (GJS) has been part of the King MS curriculum for ten years. "The most fascinating aspect of the program is the way the students interact considering the language differences. Alternative communication in the way of gestures, smiles, and laughter always make the experience all the more enlightening and enjoyable."
In celebration of King's inclusive and diverse global community, flags have been installed in all three divisions that represent the countries native to King's students, parents, faculty, and staff. Following a community survey conducted in the fall, the School identified 65 different countries represented in the King family and the flags of origin were installed, over winter break, in the Upper School lobby, as well as the Middle and Lower Schools.
How does King School define a kind and inclusive community? Every day our staffulty, students, and parents make a choice to intentionally show consideration and compassion for others. King is committed to our Virtues of integrity, kindness, perseverance, and respect. One important way we show our commitment to cultivating a kind, inclusive community is by supporting staffulty at the NAIS People of Color Conference (PoCC) and students at the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC).
The Chinese guests tested the virtual reality and 3D printing machines in the Innovation Lab, explored 1980s art history and the techniques used during that period, attended AP Government, Chinese, Chemistry, and Biology classes, played basketball in the US gym, and toured the entire campus.
Earlier this week, the PA King Inclusion and Diversity Committee (KInD) sponsored a breakfast meeting with Head of School Karen Eshoo, who offered insight about the definitions of diversity, inclusion, and equity.