Penncrest Global Scholars

The Pennsylvania Modern Language Association created the Global Scholars Program to provide Pennsylvania high school students the opportunity to meaningfully select interdisciplinary studies and activities, to develop global awareness and competency, and to better prepare themselves for personal and professional success in an increasingly global society.   Penncrest High School has participated in this program since its inception, graduating our first Global Scholar in 2017.

 To graduate as a Global Scholar,  students must complete the following requirements over the course of their 4 years in high school:

1.   Take 4 credits of the same World Language, earning a grade of B or better in each course;

2.  Take 4 additional credits which are global in nature, as determined by the Global Scholars Faculty Advisor. These must also be completed with a grade of B or better.  

The courses that meet this requirement as of October 24, 2024 are the following, at any academic level (Standard, Honors, Accelerated):

Any World Language in addition to the one above - 1 cr. 

Spanish electives - Spain & Cuba, Chile & Argentina - .5 cr. each

Spanish electives - Mexico & Peru, Costa Rica & Dominican Republic - .5 cr. each

Spanish elective - El Cine Hispanohablante - (.5 cr.)

French electives - Francophone Africa, Francophone Canada - .5 cr each

Latin elective - Gods, Monsters, and Heroes: Classical Mythology in

Literature and the Arts  - .5 cr.

Global Studies - 1 cr.

AP European History - 1 cr.

Western Civilization - 1 cr.

AP African American Studies

Modern Intellectual History - .5 cr.

International Relations  - .5 cr.

International Business - .5 cr.

Honors English 12 - .5 cr.

Women in Literature - .5 cr.

Every Voice: Multicultural Literature -.5 cr.

Humanities - 1 cr.

AP Seminar (Year 1 of the AP Capstone course, in consultation with Mrs. Montich) - 1 cr.

Dual-enrollment Global Electives:

Many courses could be considered for Global Elective credit via the Penncrest/DCCC dual-enrollment program.  The following is a list of courses that can fulfill the Global Elective requirement as of August 28, 2026.

Any student participating in a summer, semester, or year-long academic study abroad program should contact Mr. Reimschussel about independent study credit towards the Global Elective requirement. 

3.  Actively participate in a minimum of 4 extra-curricular activities that are global in nature. These include, but are not limited to:

World Language Honors Society

Worldwide Pride

Model UN

Fair Trade Club

International Club

Human Relations Club

History Day Competition (depending on the year's theme)

School-sponsored field trips that are global in nature (including, but not limited to, World Language trips and exchanges)

Other community activities that include a significant global component, as verified by the adult in charge

Some events and activities qualify as 1/2 of an extracurricular credit, such as guest speakers and special events.  Check with Mrs. Montich to confirm whether an event would qualify.

4.  Complete 20 hours of globally-focused community service. Activities may include, but are not limited to:

Tutoring in the target language

Volunteering to teach the target language to elementary or middle school students

Volunteering with a local organization that serves refugee or immigrant communities

Volunteering with a community organization at a globally-focused event

Producing an approved original project

5.  Submit at least 8 media or literature reviews

Media/Literature reviews are designed to give students a more in-depth view of the target culture or another world culture.  To this end, all material for the media/literature reviews MUST relate to a culture in which the target language is spoken, or must relate to another world culture.  Books and movies from and about the United States, but consumed in the target language, are not acceptable.

For students in the I, I-B, and II levels of a language, the reviews can be read or viewed and written in English; however, no more than 2 of the 8 total reviews can be in English.  Students in the III, IV, and AP courses must read or view source material and submit their review in the target language.   All reviews are to be submitted to the student's current World Language teacher for certification.  Any recommended edits must be made before the review will be counted for credit. 

Students should choose articles, books, movies, TV shows, and podcasts that are separate from any requirements for any current or previous Penncrest course the student has taken. For example, a commonly assigned reading in Level-1 9th Grade English is Night, by Elie Wiesel. While the author and the subject matter of the book are both international, this is a required reading, and thus would not be an appropriate selection.    Similarly, AP French students read Le Petit Prince in class, so this would also not be an appropriate selection. 

Any questions or clarifications about this requirement can be directed to Sra. Montich (B-204) or Mme. Riviere (A-106).

How Do I Apply for This Program?

Please email Mrs. Montich at dmontich@rtmsd.org to let her know of your interest.  She will share a folder with you in Google Drive that contains your Global Scholars Progress form, as well as folders in which to place the verifications for your grades, activities, and media reviews.

 How Do I Submit Grades and Activity Verifications?

Procedures for Submitting Grades, Reviews, and Activity Verifications