Portraits of Pioneering Schools

The following schools were the inaugural recipients of the Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes for Excellence in International Education in November 2003. They were selected from a national pool of applicants by a distinguished jury. Chosen for their innovation and effectiveness, these pioneering schools engage teachers and students in learning about other world regions, cultures, and languages.

John Stanford International School (JSIS) is a public K-5 bilingual-immersion school in Seattle. Opened in the fall of 2000, the school serves approximately 400 students; 41% of the student body is white, 29% Hispanic, 22% Asian or Pacific Islander, 7% African American, and 1% other.

The JSIS immersion program emphasizes attaining social and academic fluency in at least one world language — students may elect to learn either Spanish or Japanese. Immersion teachers, or their assistants, must be native speakers. The concepts learned in core courses are reinforced in both English and the chosen foreign language. JSIS students spend half their days studying math, science, culture, and literacy in their chosen world language and the other half learning reading, writing, and social studies in English. International content appears across all curricular areas. A local arts organization provides artists in residence to teach students the language of world dance, music, and visual art.

JSIS serves as one of Seattle's centers for new immigrant students and offers instruction in English as a second language for children during school hours and evening courses for their parents. The school has demonstrated success both in language acquisition and academic achievement.

Partnerships with local international businesses, as well as curriculum support from the University of Washington, have helped the development of the school. A new partnership with a small school in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, has also been established. JSIS students have learned about the children of Puerta Vallarta's garbage pickers, have helped to raise money for their partner school, and have developed an ongoing relationship with it. In addition, the fifth grade has a virtual partnership with a school in Tanzania.

The John Stanford International School's aim is to "create a culturally diverse community of lifelong learners who demonstrate advanced skills in communication, international language, and technology, and whose performance exemplifies superior academic standards."

Evanston Township High School (ETHS) is a public school located in a Chicago suburb with a student body of just under 3,100; approximately 50% of the school's students are white, 38% African American, 7% Hispanic, and 5% other. In 1992 ETHS instituted a one-year international studies requirement for graduation. A team of teachers developed a series of interdisciplinary courses on the history, literature, and art of Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. Every student must enroll in at least two semesters of study of other world regions.

From the beginning, internationally oriented courses have developed in many departments. The school is particularly known for its simulation activities, in which students play the role of, for example, a participant in the Berlin Conference of 1885 or the founder of an NGO designed to address a contemporary world issue. Outside the classroom, students participate in extracurricular clubs, including Model United Nations, Islamic Culture Club, Tea Ceremony, and Amnesty International.

ETHS offers world language courses in Japanese, Hebrew, and Latin in addition to Spanish, French, and German. Technology is used to connect language classes to native speakers and for online discussions with students in other countries, such as Pakistan and Zimbabwe. The quality of the program stems from the school's commitment to professional development. The school has established relationships with area studies centers at three local universities and with the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations to give teachers access to scholarship and expertise. ETHS is recognized as a leading example of best practices in international education, featuring "teaching and learning" teams for curriculum development and emphasizing community outreach by students. In 2003 ETHS sponsored a Global Studies conference for schools in Illinois to share curriculum resources and teaching strategies. — SLK and VS