A Passport to the World Begins Right Here in Charlotte

By David Lynn, director of International Studies

A typical day for a Country Day Middle School student might include learning Spanish from a native speaker, studying science with a teacher who spent time in Iceland on a research grant to explore geology, while sitting next to a peer who recently emigrated from China. That same student meets on a regular basis with the Middle School Model United Nations team to discuss and debate current global political issues while also volunteering at OurBridge, a Charlotte-based nonprofit serving young people from refugee families who are new to the community. In social studies, this student is part of a team that is researching South Africa and interviewing a native of the country for their seventh-grade Global Village Project. Without ever having to use a passport, this student is exposed to our world in rich, purposeful, and transformational ways.

The Middle School Model United Nations team gives students a chance to practice collaboration, analytical thinking, and problem solving.

A common priority for 21st century schools is the molding of global citizens, young leaders who are ready to engage in a worldwide environment with a sense of appreciation and curiosity, while also able to work collaboratively with those who represent different cultures, nationalities, and beliefs. Country Day was at the forefront of global education when Millie Dalton Cox ’66 helped start the Office of International Studies in 1991 (one of the first schools in the country to have a global program).

For nearly three decades, the Office of International Studies has cultivated sister school partnerships in eight countries and promoted experiences abroad for students in grades 6 though 12. In 2018, 132 students participated in one of a dozen global experiences, visiting a total of 19 countries on five continents, led by a team of 25 dedicated and well-trained faculty trip leaders. While the longlasting educational impact of global experiences abroad can be profound, we remain proud of the global learning opportunities all students are exposed to without ever having to leave our community.

Going “Glocal”

As a school, we embrace the term “glocal,” which emphasizes understanding the global diversity and resources in the community where one lives prior to exploring the world beyond our borders. The city of Charlotte provides a rich setting for global exposure, with more than one in every six Charlotteans born abroad. In all three divisions, guests regularly visit classes to discuss the world beyond our borders. This might include a parent from Brazil coming in to meet with junior kindergarten students or the seventh-grade Global Village project in which over 30 community members, all representing different national backgrounds, are interviewed by students. Every year, Country Day hosts an exchange teacher from Nanjing, China, for three months. We also recently hosted, Saleh Alghamdi, a visiting teacher from Saudi Arabia, who spent significant time with Lower and Middle School students.

On campus, students can join a wide range of global-themed extracurricular clubs including the Global Explorers (Lower School), Model United Nations and Global Action Team (Middle School), and Model United Nations, Interact Club, International Studies Board, WorldQuest, Euro Challenge, and other globally themed service clubs in the Upper School.

Off campus, students are regularly involved in community international festivals and events sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Charlotte and International House. Country Day also has strong relationships with members of the North Carolina Diplomatic Corp., consisting of honorary consuls representing over 20 countries, and regularly hosts on-campus forums, international film screens, and cultural presentations. Over the past year, students have participated in lunches with visiting diplomats, including the ambassadors of Myanmar, Finland, Jamaica, Czech Republic, Germany, and Cape Verde. These interactions provide students with intimate insight into the world of diplomacy and a chance to interact with leaders on the world stage.

Upper School students regularly meet with dignitaries, like the ambassador to the Czech Republic. These dignitaries often comment on our students’ curiosity about world affairs and ability to ask deep, well-informed questions.

In our own community, our International Parents Group provides incredible support as we build our global learning environment. Representing over 45 nationalities, this group regularly volunteers with classroom activities, campus events, and organizes the International Café at Big Saturday, which raises over $4,300 for the school.

This group also plays a vital role in supporting global families who are new to the Country Day community, and in many cases, new to the country.

Global-minded Faculty

Shaping a globally engaged community goes hand in hand with nurturing a globally minded faculty that is well-equipped to inspire our students both in and out of the classroom. While currently only 42 percent of U.S. citizens own a passport, nearly 93 percent of Country Day’s faculty and staff have traveled abroad at one point in their lives. When faculty were surveyed for countries where they had lived for three months or longer, allowing for a rich cultural immersion experience, 50 countries were identified. Collectively, Country Day faculty speak over 20 languages, with greater than 100 faculty speaking a second language at the conversational level or higher.

Furthermore, Country Day offers a wide range of annual faculty grants for professional development abroad, sponsored by generous and visionary parents and alumni. Lower School kindergarten teacher Sherry Harris recently received a travel grant to study in Switzerland. “I visited three International Baccalaureate schools rooted in the philosophy that children should be active participants in their learning,” she explains. “This is best achieved through a hands-on, discovery-based approach, building on a child’s innate curiosity to inquire, research, and reflect on the world around them. I came away from my visit inspired to continue to provide this kind of experience for my students.” These opportunities allow our students to approach global topics in the classroom with firsthand exposure and authenticity.

Our Lower School Global Explorers team learned about China from Upper School students Mint and Monica.

Alums Who are Ready to Explore

We are most proud of how our global program has provided the springboard for alumni who demonstrate confidence in pursuing global opportunities and careers. Each year, several graduates choose to engage in their full university studies abroad, while other young alums regularly report back from college-level study abroad opportunities in six continents.

We are proud of alumna like Savvy Brar ’11, who currently works for the United Nations and focuses on HIV/ AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. Last fall, she returned to Country Day to share her work with students in AP World Geography. Zi Yang ’12 works for Global Endowment Management as an analyst. Zi says:

Having an international perspective is very important. Once you have the experience of working with people cross-culturally, it makes you more curious. Cultural sensitivity has served me well in the investment field.”

We continue to be inspired by graduates, like Jason Levergood ’88 (see page 40), who connect their understanding of the world with their careers in business, medicine, education, service, and beyond.

To be Country Day Ready is to be ready to embrace the richness of our global community. Margaret Beltz ’19, who spent her junior year abroad in Spain, shares:

As a lifer at Country Day, I have had a literal lifetime to prepare for the leadership and independence that School Year Abroad requires. In many ways, I owe those characteristics to the global opportunities that encouraged me to find excitement in meeting new people, exploring different cultures, and flourishing in the unknown.”

We are proud of our students, faculty, staff, families, and alumni who strive to transcend cultural differences by seeking to understand, relate, and engage collaboratively in ways that better our world. This is a part of every Country Day student’s education and it is something we believe will provide them with the skills, experience, and motivation to play an active role in a world that is becoming ever more interconnected.