Global Education - Lake Forest Academy
Source: http://www.lfanet.org/academics/global-education
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:26
Global Education - Lake Forest Academy
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Global Education
Lake Forest Academy places the utmost importance on helping our students become better global citizens. Cultivating a deeper sense of global awareness and understanding is rooted throughout our curriculum. Whether in the classroom, on service trips, traveling with a class, or spending a year abroad, LFA students are encouraged to widen their horizons both figuratively and literally. Learn more about the many opportunities our students have to expand their global horizons on this page.
Global Learning Must Be Intentional
It implies a purposeful, educational environment in which our students learn to engage with the world
from multiple perspectives with empathy.
Capabilities essential to global citizenship: critical self-examination and examination of one’s own traditions, thinking as a citizen of the world, and exercising a “narrative imagination” that allows one to see the world through the eyes of others.
the ability to be an intelligent reader of another person's story
Martha Nussbaum,
University of Chicago
Global Department
Curricular Travel
School Year Abroad
source:
graphic source
Throughout the Global Program, students develop an understanding of globalization and examine pressing global challenges and issues. They learn to identify, analyze, and articulate these issues within both local and global contexts. Students are guided to recognize, respect, and value diverse perspectives, while building the skills necessary to communicate and collaborate effectively with individuals from different cultural, social, and geographic backgrounds.
In terms of skill development, the program intentionally strengthens students’ research, communication, and presentation skills, preparing them for college-level academic expectations and future learning environments. By the end of the program, students will have developed the capacity to take informed and ethical action on shared global challenges and to see themselves as agents of change.
source:
graphic source
Teaching & Learning Approaches
Global courses are grounded in inquiry-based learning, guiding both instruction and assessment. This approach encourages curiosity, independent thinking, and student-led exploration of global issues.
Experiential Learning
Experiential learning is integrated both inside and outside the classroom through case studies, dialogue and collaboration with peers from other schools and countries, guest speaker sessions (both internal and external), field trips, and curricular travel experiences. All activities are intentionally aligned with the curriculum, and student learning is assessed at the conclusion of each experience.
Assessment Methods
Traditional quizzes and exams are not used. Instead, student learning is assessed through participation, peer collaboration, thoughtful questioning that drives discussion, reflective homework assignments, research papers, and project presentations. These assessments are designed to help students build key skills such as empathy, perspective-taking, research, critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and presentation.
Engagement & Action
The Capstone Project (completed by the end of Year 3) and the Internship Project (Year 4) provide students with the opportunity to apply their global competence in real-world contexts. These culminating experiences reinforce the guiding principle of the program, "
make the global local and the local global
."
Global Teachers
The Global teaching team includes instructors from the Language, History, and Art departments, as well as the Director of the Library and the Director of Service Learning. Guest speakers from other departments also contribute, ensuring that students receive a truly interdisciplinary and enriching learning experience.
The book "Dig Where You Are" by Nan Doyal P’14, ’16 is an integral part of the Global Department first semester studies.
Capstone Projects Archive
2024 Capstones
2023 Capstones
Lake Forest Academy believes that experiential learning through local, national and international travel instills a curiosity in our students to explore and think critically. We believe it is the vehicle for personal growth to apply classroom concepts in the broader world, which enriches students’ contextual understanding of Global Leadership Competencies.
We believe in providing opportunities for educational travel experiences, which foster empathy and compassion that deepen human connections. LFA students will be positioned as global leaders adept in 21st-century skills, ready to lead with a Midwestern Heart and Global Mind.
Olympia National Park, Washington State
New York City, New York
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Crete, Greece
Annually, nearly 25% of LFA students are offered the chance to travel with their teachers. Students are only responsible to pay for travel insurance, passports, visas, and any required vaccinations, depending on the destination. Past trips have included destinations to Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Morocco, Navajo Nation in the Southwest, New York City, Olympic National Park in Washington state, Panama, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C.
School Year Abroad (SYA)
, founded in 1964, has year-long, academic programs in
China
,
France
,
Italy
, and
Spain
. They also offer
five-week summer
homestay programs. As a member school, LFA clearly demonstrates its commitment to global education. Our students, who can participate over the summer or during their sophomore, junior, or senior year, improve not only their language skills, but also their ability to adapt and thrive both educationally and personally in another culture. Interested students and families should contact
Tameka Carter
, our SYA Coordinator at LFA.
School Year Abroad
This program, founded in 1964, is sponsored by the three charter schools of Exeter, Andover, and St. Paul's. The heads of these three schools serve as permanent members of SYA's board of trustees. In addition to these three charter schools; SYA's association includes a consortium of other top U.S. independent schools that have demonstrated a strong commitment to foreign and classical language instruction as well as international education. Admission to these programs is competitive.
The programs are conducted during the school year in Beijing (China), Rennes (France), Viterbo (Italy), and Zaragoza (Spain). Its courses have been fully accredited by LFA and other schools within the consortium. The purpose of these programs is for students to participate in a full academic year as well as to reap the benefits of living in a foreign culture while achieving a level of real fluency or skills virtually impossible to attain at their home schools. Since some of LFA's graduation requirements (e.g., US History or science) cannot be fulfilled in Beijing, Rennes, Viterbo, or Zaragoza, interested students should develop as early as possible a long-range plan of studies that will assure their eligibility.
divider-3
In each program, students live with host families and participate fully in their lives. They join athletic and cultural organizations with their Chinese, French, Italian, or Spanish counterparts and travel both on several school-sponsored trips as well as independently. Academically, each student pursues a minimum of five courses selected from a curriculum especially designed for School Year Abroad students. Standard junior and senior English and mathematics courses are taught in English, generally by teachers from the charter or member schools. Subjects such as literature, language, history, civilization, and art history are taught in the target language by native instructors. The classes are rigorous and reflect the standards of the sponsoring schools. All College Board examinations are offered.
The programs in France, Italy, and Spain are designed for students going into their sophomore, junior or senior year who have completed two years of French, Latin, or Spanish. The program in China is for students also going into their junior or senior year, but no previous study of Mandarin is necessary for students who wish to spend their junior, senior or post-graduate year in Beijing. Each of these programs offers a full year of residence and study in the respective country. The program in China offers the option of a fall term as well. The cost of each program does not differ significantly from the cost of a year as a boarder at LFA. Financial aid is available. Catalogs and further information on application to the program may be obtained from our SYA coordinator, Ms. Carter.
Skip To Main Content
Global Education
Lake Forest Academy places the utmost importance on helping our students become better global citizens. Cultivating a deeper sense of global awareness and understanding is rooted throughout our curriculum. Whether in the classroom, on service trips, traveling with a class, or spending a year abroad, LFA students are encouraged to widen their horizons both figuratively and literally. Learn more about the many opportunities our students have to expand their global horizons on this page.
Global Learning Must Be Intentional
It implies a purposeful, educational environment in which our students learn to engage with the world
from multiple perspectives with empathy.
Capabilities essential to global citizenship: critical self-examination and examination of one’s own traditions, thinking as a citizen of the world, and exercising a “narrative imagination” that allows one to see the world through the eyes of others.
the ability to be an intelligent reader of another person's story
Martha Nussbaum,
University of Chicago
Global Department
Curricular Travel
School Year Abroad
source:
graphic source
Throughout the Global Program, students develop an understanding of globalization and examine pressing global challenges and issues. They learn to identify, analyze, and articulate these issues within both local and global contexts. Students are guided to recognize, respect, and value diverse perspectives, while building the skills necessary to communicate and collaborate effectively with individuals from different cultural, social, and geographic backgrounds.
In terms of skill development, the program intentionally strengthens students’ research, communication, and presentation skills, preparing them for college-level academic expectations and future learning environments. By the end of the program, students will have developed the capacity to take informed and ethical action on shared global challenges and to see themselves as agents of change.
source:
graphic source
Teaching & Learning Approaches
Global courses are grounded in inquiry-based learning, guiding both instruction and assessment. This approach encourages curiosity, independent thinking, and student-led exploration of global issues.
Experiential Learning
Experiential learning is integrated both inside and outside the classroom through case studies, dialogue and collaboration with peers from other schools and countries, guest speaker sessions (both internal and external), field trips, and curricular travel experiences. All activities are intentionally aligned with the curriculum, and student learning is assessed at the conclusion of each experience.
Assessment Methods
Traditional quizzes and exams are not used. Instead, student learning is assessed through participation, peer collaboration, thoughtful questioning that drives discussion, reflective homework assignments, research papers, and project presentations. These assessments are designed to help students build key skills such as empathy, perspective-taking, research, critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and presentation.
Engagement & Action
The Capstone Project (completed by the end of Year 3) and the Internship Project (Year 4) provide students with the opportunity to apply their global competence in real-world contexts. These culminating experiences reinforce the guiding principle of the program, "
make the global local and the local global
."
Global Teachers
The Global teaching team includes instructors from the Language, History, and Art departments, as well as the Director of the Library and the Director of Service Learning. Guest speakers from other departments also contribute, ensuring that students receive a truly interdisciplinary and enriching learning experience.
The book "Dig Where You Are" by Nan Doyal P’14, ’16 is an integral part of the Global Department first semester studies.
Capstone Projects Archive
2024 Capstones
2023 Capstones
Lake Forest Academy believes that experiential learning through local, national and international travel instills a curiosity in our students to explore and think critically. We believe it is the vehicle for personal growth to apply classroom concepts in the broader world, which enriches students’ contextual understanding of Global Leadership Competencies.
We believe in providing opportunities for educational travel experiences, which foster empathy and compassion that deepen human connections. LFA students will be positioned as global leaders adept in 21st-century skills, ready to lead with a Midwestern Heart and Global Mind.
Olympia National Park, Washington State
New York City, New York
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Crete, Greece
Annually, nearly 25% of LFA students are offered the chance to travel with their teachers. Students are only responsible to pay for travel insurance, passports, visas, and any required vaccinations, depending on the destination. Past trips have included destinations to Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Morocco, Navajo Nation in the Southwest, New York City, Olympic National Park in Washington state, Panama, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C.
School Year Abroad (SYA)
, founded in 1964, has year-long, academic programs in
China
,
France
,
Italy
, and
Spain
. They also offer
five-week summer
homestay programs. As a member school, LFA clearly demonstrates its commitment to global education. Our students, who can participate over the summer or during their sophomore, junior, or senior year, improve not only their language skills, but also their ability to adapt and thrive both educationally and personally in another culture. Interested students and families should contact
Tameka Carter
, our SYA Coordinator at LFA.
School Year Abroad
This program, founded in 1964, is sponsored by the three charter schools of Exeter, Andover, and St. Paul's. The heads of these three schools serve as permanent members of SYA's board of trustees. In addition to these three charter schools; SYA's association includes a consortium of other top U.S. independent schools that have demonstrated a strong commitment to foreign and classical language instruction as well as international education. Admission to these programs is competitive.
The programs are conducted during the school year in Beijing (China), Rennes (France), Viterbo (Italy), and Zaragoza (Spain). Its courses have been fully accredited by LFA and other schools within the consortium. The purpose of these programs is for students to participate in a full academic year as well as to reap the benefits of living in a foreign culture while achieving a level of real fluency or skills virtually impossible to attain at their home schools. Since some of LFA's graduation requirements (e.g., US History or science) cannot be fulfilled in Beijing, Rennes, Viterbo, or Zaragoza, interested students should develop as early as possible a long-range plan of studies that will assure their eligibility.
divider-3
In each program, students live with host families and participate fully in their lives. They join athletic and cultural organizations with their Chinese, French, Italian, or Spanish counterparts and travel both on several school-sponsored trips as well as independently. Academically, each student pursues a minimum of five courses selected from a curriculum especially designed for School Year Abroad students. Standard junior and senior English and mathematics courses are taught in English, generally by teachers from the charter or member schools. Subjects such as literature, language, history, civilization, and art history are taught in the target language by native instructors. The classes are rigorous and reflect the standards of the sponsoring schools. All College Board examinations are offered.
The programs in France, Italy, and Spain are designed for students going into their sophomore, junior or senior year who have completed two years of French, Latin, or Spanish. The program in China is for students also going into their junior or senior year, but no previous study of Mandarin is necessary for students who wish to spend their junior, senior or post-graduate year in Beijing. Each of these programs offers a full year of residence and study in the respective country. The program in China offers the option of a fall term as well. The cost of each program does not differ significantly from the cost of a year as a boarder at LFA. Financial aid is available. Catalogs and further information on application to the program may be obtained from our SYA coordinator, Ms. Carter.