The Global Studies program supports and advances students’ understanding of and appreciation for the attitudes, knowledge, skills and engagement needed to enhance their community connections and personal growth as global citizens.
Students explore Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia as they seek to understand this 2,000 year old cultural crossroads.
Through interdisciplinary curriculum, local community outreach and national and international projects, students explore and connect to the greater global society. Our goals are to promote sensitivity to commonalities and differences among and within cultures, to understand how global forces influence our daily lives and to encourage responsible contributions to effect positive change.
At Flintridge Prep, global citizenship means that we are intentional about how we interact with the world. We want to travel with a purpose, travel with an understanding of history, culture, geography, and sociology. Similarly, in classes such as Ingrid’s Borders class, as well as in many history classes, we want an empathetic perspective, to gain true understanding, true partnership, and synthesis. —Sarah Cooper, Associate Head of School
About the Program
Flintridge Prep's Global Studies program is founded on guidelines from the National Association of Independent Schools for educating global citizens, through contextualization, application, understanding and action—all of which are fostered through long-term exposure and deep relationships around the world.
The Global Studies program features curriculum components and immersive experiences, as well as guest speakers who talk about a range of topics of global significance.
GEBG & Student Led Dialogues
Flintridge Prep is one of 22 Leading Partner Schools with the Global Education Benchmark Group (GEBG), a leading nonprofit organization of K-12 schools that researches and establishes model practices in the field of global education. Last year, students in the GEBG Student Leadership Council planned and led two United Sates history dialogues for students about big government versus small government and the modern ramifications of Reconstruction.
Student leader Sophia Zhong ’25 says, “We are trying to learn about other people, where they come from, what ideas they have, and why they believe what they do.”
Global Studies Intensives for Seniors
In Honors International Relations, students examine factors that promote both cooperation and conflict between and among nation-states. The centerpiece of the course is a simulation exercise in which the class assumes the identity of a contemporary nation. Students then develop diplomatic relations with several West Coast schools also posing as nations.
In Honors Border Politics: Borders, Fences, and Walls, students explore migration and movement on a global level, providing an overview of the political philosophies and economic issues surrounding migration worldwide.
Global Studies Trips
The national and international projects are essential parts the Global Studies initiative, where students and faculty travel and explore places and issues pertinent to the greater global community. With the guidance of faculty chaperones, students are free to take on challenging questions in an emotionally and intellectually safe space, discussing and reflecting on their experiences.
Trips have included an examination of climate change and human encroachment Andorran Pyrenees, Spain; the cultural crossroads in Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia; and the complexities of immigration at the border area around El Paso, TX.
"History came to life right before my eyes. It was incredible to visit locations where history actually happened and to have the locals tell us their perspective or share their family's history with us." —Hiwot Fasika '25, who traveled Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia
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Global Studies
Impact is a byproduct of empathy and understanding. This is the basic premise behind Flintridge Prep’s Global Studies initiative. “By looking outward, we learn to look inward,” says Ingrid Herskind, Flintridge Prep’s Global Studies Coordinator.