Global studies and service diploma

Cross-cultural Experience: On Campus

To earn a Global Studies and Service Diploma a student should demonstrate experience with globally-oriented clubs or events at Taft by completing two of the four options below (a student may repeat the same experience). Approval from the GSS department is required; proposals are due by October 1. 1. Take on a leadership role in a globally-oriented club 2. Participate in a globally-oriented club of choice such as UCT, Global Journal, etc. (8 meetings minimum; the student will need to coordinate with the club’s faculty advisor to ensure a meeting schedule that encompasses this minimum) 3. Perform a leadership role in staging a single event 4. Participate in the Global Leadership Institute For each of the two experiences, the student must also submit a reflective essay demonstrating how the experience fulfills the requirement for a cross-cultural experience within the Taftcommunity. Essays are due no later than the last day of classes for the school year.

Cross-cultural experience: In the Community

The student should demonstrate experience within a culture beyond his/her home culture and outside of the Taft community. This experience may take place during the school year (e.g., volunteering as an “ex”) or during the summer (e.g., volunteering in a local community orga-nization). The experience must span a significant number of hours, for example, one athletic season “ex,” a weeklong trip, etc. Proposals require GSS department approval and must be submitted by: •Theendoftheacademicyearforsummeropportunities; •Thethirdweekofthefallorspringsemesterforsemester-longopportunities.

The student must also submit a reflective essay demonstrating how this experience fulfills the re-quirement for a community cross-cultural experience. Essays are due by the first day of classes (for summer experiences) or by the final day of classes that semester (for experiences during the school year).

Cross-cultural experience: Global

The student should demonstrate experience within a culture beyond his/her home culture and country. It is essential that travel programs include educational and service compo-nents. Possibilities include but are not limited to: Taft-sponsored service trips (e.g., Dominican Republic; Guatemala); Poole Grant travel; service/educational trips arranged through outside private or public funding; and exchange programs that makes use of Taft alumni and current families. Proposals require GSS department approval and must be submitted by: •November1fortripstakingplaceoverthefollowingMarchbreak; •March1fortripstakingplaceduringthesummer.

A reflective essay demonstrating how the student’s experience fulfills the requirement for a cross-cultural experience on a global level is due within 30 days of completing the trip.

Course work

Service

The service component of the Global Studies and Service Diploma may be completed in one of the following ways: •FulfillingoneoftheCross-CulturalExperiencecategoriesabove; •TakingaGSSServiceLearningcourse; •CreatingandcompletinganISPthatinvolvesaservicecomponent.

A reflective essay demonstrating how the student’s experience fulfills the service requirementis required only for those selecting the ISP option.

The language proficiency requirement may be met through the successful completionofanAdvancedPlacementorLevel4courseinFrench,Spanish,Chinese,orLatin. •AstudententeringasaMidandstartingatLevel1mayreceiveaspecial exemption. •AstudentfromabroadwhoisexemptfromforeignlanguagestudyatTaftwill be exempt from the language requirement.

Also recommended: travel in a culture represented by the student’s language of study.

The student will submit a portfolio that includes all of the written work completedin conjunction with all components of the Global Studies and Service Diploma Program. This includes: •Proposalforandreflectiveessayonallthreecross-culturalexperiences: On campus, in the community, and global •Reflectiveessayonserviceexperience(ifrequired,see“Service”section) •Essayaccompanyingtheculminatingprojectwithapubliccomponent •Self-assessmentessay:Reviewofandreflectionsonportfolioofwrittenwork

Language proficiency

The student must complete at least three semesters of work in courses offered by, or cross-listed with, the GSS Department: AP Human Geography; Service Learning; Philosophy: Searching for Truth; TheInfluenceofBuddhismintheWest;ModelUN;WorldCinema;Literature ofCivilDisobedience;APEnvironmental;HonorsHumanities; AP Comparative Government; AP Capstone; Pox and Pestilence; Literature in theDevelopingWorld.

portfolio

Our goals

Our Mission

Our Requirements

Global studies and service diploma

The Global Studies and Service Diploma Program challenges students to engage locally and globally as agents of social change. A Global Studies and Service student engages with the world through a variety of modes—compassionate, creative, intuitive, analytical—in advancing causes of equity, justice, and sustainability. A student who earns the Global Studies and Service Diploma will have demonstrated an active citizenship—the capacity to appreciate the global dimension of everyday, local life and to catalyze social change within an increasingly complex and international world.

A student who earns the Global Studies and Service Diploma will demonstrate the ability to: •Understandandworkfluentlyinarangeofcultures •Understandandanalyzebiases,norms,privileges •Expressawiderangeofperspectivesthroughwritingandother narrative and creative forms •Fosterasenseofempathy,compassion,andanappreciation for our common humanity •Effectchangeasanactivecitizen •Actasastewardoftheenvironment

•Cross-culturalexperience:Oncampus •Cross-culturalexperience:Inthecommunity •Cross-culturalexperience:Global •Service •Languageproficiency •Coursework •Culminatingprojectwithapubliccomponent •Portfolioofwrittenwork