Think global: How Wake County schools prepare students for the world

Magnet Schools are organized under four distinct pathways: Leadership & Technology, Gifted & Talented, International Baccalaureate and Language Immersion/Global Studies pathways.

While the two internationally focused pathways have differences, the programs are all meant to "prepare students for life skills and world readiness that students need after they graduate from high school," said Sheri Golden-Perry, senior administrator for the International Baccalaureate Programmes and Global Schools Collaborative Network for the Wake County Public School System.

The schools do this by offering a consistently high-quality education. For example, International Baccalaureate schools undergo a two-year certification process that they renew every five years.

"The International Baccalaureate Programme helps students learn their standard course of study through a global perspective, in a way that allows them to still meet the requirements of the state but make connections through world languages, art, as well as the core subject areas and physical health and education, so they can have that inner connectedness with everything that they learn and the content that they are taught," said Golden-Perry.

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is recognized at universities around the world, as the two-year program emphasizes international understanding, responsible citizenship and service.

"I believe that the IB Diploma Programme was the best choice for me because it challenges me to think unconventionally and motivates me to incorporate different cultural outlooks in my everyday life," said Garner Magnet High School student Crystal Delaguila.

Another Garner High student found the personal challenges to be rewarding.

"When you think of success, you think of the wins and accomplishments, but with IB you´re granted the opportunity of challenging yourself and reaching your true potential, the true meaning of success," said Anaya Sanders.

Another Wake international-focused pathway is Global Studies, which exposes students to a world language and incorporates the United Nations sustainable development goals — such as ending poverty, ensuring good health and well-being and acting against climate change.

"In global studies, teachers and students are looking at global competencies and learning through a global lens," said Taela George-East, director of the Project NEXUS Magnet Schools Assistance Program Grant for Wake County Public School System. "These global competencies mean that kids are able to investigate ideas and concepts around the world, and they recognize different perspectives based on that research."

Students investigate these concepts by confronting real-life scenarios.

"To enhance the global learning experience, students might be collaborating to build a Model UN program, wherein students represent the needs and ideas of different countries and work in mock committee settings to forward those ideas on an international level," said George-East. "Students in global studies programs also participate in clubs that build their language skills and experiences or address global issues like reducing poverty or debating the impact or progress of climate change or work for justice."

"We are exposing students to different languages and experiences and lessons that broaden their horizons from local to global," she finished.

Schools offer many different languages, including Spanish, French, Arabic and Mandarin, with some starting in elementary school.

"The WCPSS Office of Magnet and Curriculum Enhancement offers several themes and magnet pathways in schools across the district that place a special emphasis on preparing students for a global society," said George-East. "For example, we provide daily world language at several of the elementary magnets and additional language choices at the middle and high school levels."

These programs and language opportunities set students up for success — and language immersion programs in WCPSS are another part of opening students to the world around them.

"I think that our language immersion programs create biliterate and bilingual students who are globally competitive and are able to enter the workforce or college with a different level of understanding the world and being competitive on a different level, simply because they’re bilingual," said Golden-Perry.