Academics

Global Education

Gonzaga, the only Jesuit secondary school in our nation’s capital, is part of a larger Jesuit Global Network of Schools -- a community of 874 schools and over 870,000 students worldwide. We offer opportunities for our students to engage more deeply with the world around us, with the goal of becoming better global citizens.
Academic, social justice, cultural immersion, and exchange programs expose our students to global topics and take them all over the world. These experiences provide the opportunity for our students to take learning outside of the classroom, serve the poor and marginalized, and understand more fully the diverse cultures of the world.

In addition, as part of Gonzaga's focus on global education, we are partnering with and participating in the Jesuit Schools Network's Ignatian Global Scholars Certificate Pilot Program. This program promotes interconnected learning experiences in the classroom and beyond to help the student become a global citizen.

Our Ignatian Global Scholars Certificate Program provides a unique opportunity for our students to engage with a globally focused plan of study. Service experiences, both domestic and abroad, allow students to connect with those living on the margins and explore social issues. International immersion trips offer a chance to live in and experience other cultures, while our Global Exchange Programs provide an even greater opportunity to connect, learn, and share with the larger global network of Jesuit schools. 

Global Exchange Programs

Gonzaga will be partnering with schools within the Jesuit Global Network of Schools for three-week exchange programs. In the fall semester, we will host exchange students, and in the spring, we will send Gonzaga students to our partner schools for a cultural and academic exchange experience. More details to come! 

Travel Immersion Programs

Each year, Gonzaga hosts faculty-led, group travel programs during spring or summer break. Please inquire for current offerings. 
Previously visited countries include Spain, France, China, Italy, Argentina, and Costa Rica.

Ignatian Global Scholars Certificate Program

To earn an Ignatian Global Scholar Certificate from the Jesuit Schools Network, students will successfully complete seven of the nine components listed below, selecting at least one component from each of the following categories: Context, Experience, Reflection, Action, and Evaluation. A minimum of four semesters is required to earn a certificate.

*Please view this presentation for an overview of Gonzaga's specific courses and offerings that will fulfill the requirements for the Ignatian Global Scholars Program. 



List of 5 items.

  • Context

    Curriculum
    Students will complete a minimum of 4 courses with a global dimension. 

    Language Study
    Students will complete a minimum of three years of language study. 

    Global Events
    Students will participate in two different events each year that have an Ignatian global citizenship focus. This could take the form of a speaker series, reading list, or workshops.
  • Experience

    Intercultural Experience
    Students will take part in a sustained experience where they form a relationship with an organization, group, or a set of people that allows them to interact with a culturally diverse group while sharing a common vision. This should help deepen their awareness of their place and responsibilities in our interconnected world. 

    Co-Curricular Involvement
    Students will have an ongoing, active involvement with a group that focuses on either the pursuit of a sustainable earth, a more humane world, or an increasing interconnectedness and understanding of perspectives or cultures other than their own. This may take the form of formal or informal leadership roles. 
  • Reflection

    Ongoing and Culminating Reflection
    Students will continuously complete self-reflections to evaluate their work in becoming global citizens and to understand how this deepens their relationship with God. At the end of the program, they should complete a final reflection to review their time in the program and how it will inform their future interactions with others, God, and the world.
  • Action

    Service
    Students will participate in an ongoing local relationship-building experience that correlates to the global citizenship goals as articulated in the “Ignatian Definition.” 

    Project
    Students will complete a project with a global focus, which should be shared with other community members. 
  • Evaluation

    Project Evaluation
    Students will engage in a school-facilitated evaluation process that includes both their and their advisor’s experience to assess successes and develop opportunities moving forward

Contact

List of 1 members.

  • Photo of Ariel Laguilles

    Ariel Laguilles 

    Modern Languages Teacher, Global Education Coordinator
Global Citizenship: An Ignatian Definition
 
Global Citizens are those who continuously seek to deepen their awareness of their place and responsibility in an increasingly interconnected world, both locally and globally; those who stand in solidarity with others in the pursuit of a sustainable earth and a more humane world as true companions in the mission of reconciliation and justice.  
Celebrating 200 Years of Jesuit Education in the Nation's Capital