MISSION:

At its core, the Upper School academic program is designed to guide students to:

• Learn how they learn and collaborate effectively with a wide range of world views

• Construct a personalized approach to engaging with and developing solutions for complex, real-world challenges

• Conceptualize and explore the networks and systems that undergird global societies

• Develop an understanding of what it means to be an impactful global citizen

GCDS Global Academic Programs provide students with opportunities to pursue their interests, apply and develop their skills and knowledge, and forge partnerships with communities, researchers, and peers around the world. While many competitive independent schools offer global travel opportunities, the vision for GCDS Global Academic Programs offers a distinctive opportunity for our students. Rather than discrete student trips, our immersive experiences will serve as extensions of on-campus learning. Connecting directly with our interdisciplinary curriculum in addition to signature programs (e.g. Junior Thesis, Senior Internship, and Specialized Diplomas), Global Academic Programs will include both faculty-organized and student-designed travel experiences.

Greenwich Country Day School believes that it is crucial for students to learn about the broader world and how to collaborate within its diverse communities. In so doing, students develop a cultural responsiveness and necessary skills for today’s increasingly globalized environment. The GCDS Global Academic Programs respond to the rising global demand for citizens who pursue and combine a rich understanding of political, social, cultural, and economic trends. No longer is global competency a luxury, it is now an imperative.

GCDS Global Academic Programs strive to develop in our students the necessary tools to seek understanding, investigate and inquire about what is unknown or different, and to use analytical tools with language proficiency to engage within other nations. Students in the Global Academic Programs will gain the interpersonal and cross-cultural skills to communicate, collaborate, and connect. Moreover, students are inspired to envision and act as they prepare to emerge as positive change-makers intent on creating a better future. GCDS Global Academic Programs encourage critical thinking and practical engagement through continued interdisciplinary study and experiential learning.

Through collaboration between all stakeholders, students will benefit from a combination of rigorous study and rich experiential learning. The Global Academic Programs will extend the GCDS foundational ethos fostering supportive, stimulating, interdisciplinary opportunities. Travel broadens minds. To quote Mark Twain: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow mindedness…” Indeed, travel is expansive and creates inclusive spaces along with the possibility of deep intellectual growth. Combined, all of these elements will bring together members of our global community to learn from one another, preparing each of us as leaders in our interconnected world.

Key West, Florida - Intersession 2022

JANUARY 2022 TRAVEL BLOG: LINK

The Global Program to South Florida is a 3-week immersive experience during intersession designed to introduce students to conservation strategies and research opportunities in Miami and the Florida Keys.

The 3-week intersession will begin with 3 days at GCDS, followed by 12 days in Florida, and ending with a 3-day wrap-up back st GCDS. In Greenwich, we will prepare for the trip by reviewing conservation strategies and research used by the town of Greenwich, the Montgomery Pinetum and the Norwalk aquarium. We will then fly to Miami, tour the Fairchild tropical Botanical garden, spend 4 days at the Mote Elizabeth Moore International Coral Reef Research Center, then spend 5 days in Key West, learning at the National Marine Sanctuaries Program, kayaking through the mangroves, snorkeling, sailing, visiting the Dry Tortugas, Mel Fisher Museum and Hemingway House. On our drive back to Miami, we will spend a day at the Dolphin research center. We will return to Greenwich and spend 3 days finishing our research reports and reflections.

• The estimated cost of the trip is $3,300, which includes airfare. This opportunity is supported by the school's enrollment and financial aid program.

• The group will travel together from Westchester Airport to West Palm Beach on January 6 and return on January 17.

• We seek students who are rising 10th, 11th and 12th graders who have a demonstrated passion for sustainability, love for the outdoors and sense of adventure!

• Preference will be given to students in the Sustainability Diploma program, students enrolled in Marine Science or Advanced Environmental Science, and/or students pursuing a thesis in conservation science, or sustainability.

• Students must be in good academic standing and have recommendations from two teachers.

• Students must have time to dedicate to meeting regularly and participating in field trips, with the group, in the fall of 2021 in preparation for the trip.

Important Dates:

Applications Due: May 7th

Notification of Admission: May 14th

Student Meeting: May 17th

Family Meeting: TBA

Trip Deposit Due: June 1st

If you are interested in this program, please contact Dr. Barratt for more details on the trip and application process!

Guatemala - Intersession 2022

[POSTPONED UNTIL 2023 DUE TO COVID]

The Global Program to Guatemala is a 2 ½ week immersive experience during intersession designed to collaborate with high school students of the Antigua Green School in the historic UNESCO World Heritage town of Antigua, Guatemala. Antigua Green School, a bilingual English/Spanish school, located on a 70-acre coffee farm, offers students a unique opportunity to connect with the natural world.

GCDS students will attend one-on-one Spanish language immersion classes Monday through Friday from 8 am to 12 pm for two weeks. They will spend the afternoons at the Green School with their counterparts working on a sustainability project, live with host families, and participate in local activities and travel.

The estimated cost of the trip is $3500, which includes airfare. This opportunity is supported by the school's enrollment and financial aid program. The group will travel together from LGA to Guatemala City on January 5 and return on January 22.

• We seek students who are rising 11th and 12th graders who have completed at least Level III of Spanish (A- or above).

• Preference will also be given to students in the World Language and Sustainability Diploma programs.

• Students must be in good academic standing and have recommendations from two teachers.

• Students must have time to dedicate to meeting regularly with the group in the Fall Semester of 2021 in preparation for the trip.

Important Dates:

Applications Due: May 7th

Notification of Admission: May 14th

Student Meeting: May 17th

Family Meeting: TBA

Trip Deposit Due: June 1st

If you are interested in this program, please contact Ms. Allen or Ms. Pepe for more details on the trip and application process!

STUDENT + FAMILY TIMELINE + PROCESSES:

• CLICK HERE to download Timeline for INTERSESSION + MARCH trips

• CLICK HERE to download Timeline for SUMMER trips

FORMS:

This section is under construction.

FACULTY PORTAL: