Distinguished Global Scholars Certificate
The York Distinguished Scholars Program in Global Studies recognizes students who have achieved excellence in developing the knowledge, skills, and leadership required to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world. York School is committed to preparing students for a positive, productive future, and that includes their recognizing and appreciating one’s individual role in world economics, politics, and environmental sustainability. York believes the world our students inhabit will need global leaders and problem-solvers, ready to approach challenges from multiple perspectives with a cross-cultural fluency.
York’s Distinguished Scholars Program in Global Studies affords students the opportunity to pursue studying a rigorous curriculum in internationally focused courses, traveling and studying abroad with our partners at CIEE, and generating a final project that demonstrates their commitment to understanding other perspectives and improving the common good.
Costa Rica Sustainability ProgramAll 10th grade York School students travel to the edge of the cloud forest in Costa Rica for a week of experiential education at the Council on International Educational Exchange’s (CIEE) Monteverde Campus as part of York’s required curriculum. Students attend classes by local professors and professionals to learn about how Costa Rican institutions have become a world pioneer in sustainability and climate change mitigation. Nature walks and field work inspire students to develop research questions and solutions in order to bring their learning back to the York community.
CIEE Summer Study Abroad
To help ensure York graduates are some of the best prepared students in the nation, we have entered into a partnership with
CIEE, a leader in study abroad programs to offer every York student access to summer study abroad. CIEE offers three types of programs: Language and Culture; Service and Leadership; and Global Discovery. York students can choose from twenty-five destinations and experience approximately 4-week long sessions with homestay or dorm accommodations as well as an academic component designed to allow for immersion in another culture.
CIEE is a nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization that transforms lives and builds bridges between individuals and nations by sponsoring a wide variety of opportunities for the exchange of ideas and experiences. CIEE helps people develop skills for living in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world, and contributes to a more peaceful global community by humanizing international relations.
Model UN
Model UN uses a simulation learning model to enable students to understand complex issues by role-playing as specific nations and organizations. York attends conferences locally and in the Bay Area, as well as in Southern California. At these conferences, students have debated and negotiated resolutions on a range of topics, including the Syrian refugee crisis, the opioid crisis, Northern Ireland, Brexit, the Treaty of Versailles, Watergate, cyber warfare and election interference, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Students meet weekly for training, practice, and preparation.
Our Model UN program helps students gain valuable debate, negotiation, and public speaking skills, while learning about international affairs and global issues as well as raising awareness of local, national, and global issues and helping to prepare students to be knowledgeable global citizens and leaders.
Forums and LecturesYork students have the opportunity to participate in three programs: the
Critical Issues Forum, the
Panetta Lecture Series, and the
World Affairs Council Luncheon Lectures. The Critical Issues Forum is an international high school conference on nuclear nonproliferation organized by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation at MIIS. The Panetta Lecture Series and the World Affairs Council bring world-renown experts and public figures to Monterey to speak on issues of international importance.
Clubs and Honor SocietiesRelevant club offerings include:
- Asian Culture Club
- Hispanic Culture Club
- National Chinese Honor Society
- Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (Spanish National Honor Society)