“We chose Harker in part for its excellent global education program. As a teenager, I was an exchange student in Japan, and that experience changed the trajectory of my personal and professional life. Now my sons go to Harker, and their participation in the Japan exchange program has opened a whole new world to them, too.”
— Todd Young, parent
Harker’s global education program is endorsed by the Global Education Benchmark Group.
Harker builds progressive partnerships with individuals, schools, and organizations around the world to provide meaningful experiences for students at all grade levels, preparing them to be true global citizens. By nurturing these relationships, we foster lasting knowledge and skills in our students, who will become tomorrow’s leaders.
Our department is centered around the standards of global competence set forth by the United Nations Organization of Economic and Cultural Development.
Global competence is a combination of a wide range of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values used by people as we interact in global and intercultural situations. We believe that becoming globally competent is a lifelong process that starts here in our classrooms and extends beyond, as students fulfill the school’s mission by “taking their place as global citizens.”
From K-12, Harker students are exposed to cultures worldwide. Through a variety of classroom experiences, Harker fosters students’ awareness, curiosity and interest in the world around us. Starting in grade 6, Harker also offers numerous international programs including trips to Peru, Costa Rica, Greece and other destinations.
Through activities with our sister schools in countries such as Japan and Saudi Arabia, students better understand that we each have our own perspective and that others may – or may not – share this perspective. Additionally, Harker has dozens of virtual speakers visit our classrooms to share on topics ranging from religion to cooking to blogging.
Harker students participate in a variety of activities where they learn how to communicate with diverse audiences. Kindergarten students participate in a video conference with students in Japan where they share about their daily lives and activities. Students also participate in online cultural exchanges with peers in Russia, China and other locations.
Harker students learn the skills and knowledge needed to make a difference in the world. Whether this is through our wide range of internationally themed clubs, volunteer activities, or even participating in a service project in Costa Rica, Harker students take action to make the world a better place.
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Within a span of only 10 days, I experienced so much: awe, gratitude, inspiration, confusion, discomfort, adaptation and growth.”
—Aryana Far ‘19
