Education With A Global Feel

Arundel High School has introduced its first class tied to a new signature program with a global viewpoint.

About 20 students have signed up for an introductory course that will explore principals of global citizenship. In addition, there are overlay classes that offer complementary content with a global emphasis, as well as an optional speaker series and clubs. Internships and large projects will be integrated into the program for older students.

"It's sort of the more innovative side of public school reform," said Barbara Dziedzic, an English teacher at Arundel and lead teacher of the signature program, dubbed Community Development and Global Citizenship. "You have these additional programs designed to make public schools more 21^st century relevant."

Anne Arundel County Public Schools has set a goal for each public high school to have a signature program. Most schools are in the proposal phase, but Meade High has introduced a Homeland Security program that leverages the school's location at Fort Meade.

Dziedzic said she admired the Meade program, but pushed for Arundel to offer more flexibility and choice for students.  She lobbied for a program with a global emphasis because of her own personal interest and the diverse backgrounds of the student body.

"Because of where we're located, so many of our students have communities that extend not just beyond the county or beyond the state, but beyond the nation," she said. "We have children bringing parents that have traveled the world."

Students who participate in the signature program will study topics like international relations and diplomacy, community organizing and global elections. Even their classes of math, science, art and history will offer lessons with a global bent.

The development of the program came as a result of consultation not only with school officials, but business, government and community leaders in the county.

The signature program was first introduced last year, but there was no money to fund a full-time class. Instead, the school tailored a series of existing electives to align with the program's goals and introduced some extracurricular activities.

Dziedzic recently earned a master's degree from American University in International Peace and Conflict Resolution, and has worked with The Advocacy Project on efforts to help children in Kenya.

"It's a new world, and we can equip the students to not only survive the world, but engage in it in the most positive way possible," she said. "This is education that people want. This is not something I'm persuading young people to buy into. We're at the forefront of it, and I fully believe Arundel High School is decades ahead of other schools in terms of having a forward-looking vision."