Woodlands Academy continues robust online course options
Formed in 2020 to meet specific needs created by COVID-19 constraints, Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart in Lake Forest and Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bellevue, Washington, will continue their partnership by offering more of its robust online Sacred Heart Global Academy courses this summer and fall.
During its inaugural year, the program featured eight courses grounded in the Sacred Heart mission that provided opportunities for international and domestic students to participate with each other along with teachers from both schools.
This summer, SHGA is offering two courses. "Ethics in International Relations," a three-week course beginning June 21, will tackle ethical dilemmas in international affairs relating to issues such as human rights, just and unjust wars, poverty, environmental protection, and global governance.
Meanwhile, a ninth-grade boot camp Aug. 2-6 welcomes incoming Woodlands Academy and Forest Ridge freshmen to the Sacred Heart community. This mini-class is designed to make students' first year at both schools a success.
SHGA's summer courses will be followed by four more in the fall: "Global Photography and Media Studies" and "Hispanic Literature and Culture," taught by Woodlands Academy faculty, along with "Comparative Mythology" and "Visual and Verbal, Seen and Felt: Exploring the crossroads of poetics and visual arts," taught by Forest Ridge faculty.
The fall courses will be the first ones available to additional schools in the Sacred Heart's worldwide network.
Students enrolled in "Hispanic Literature and Culture" will build their Spanish language skills while exploring the literature and cultures of Spain, Latin America and U.S. Latinx communities.
There will be a strong focus on developing intercultural understanding and making connections that will help students gain a deeper appreciation of their own perspectives and place in the world.
"Global Photography and Media Studies" participants will work on refining photography techniques and expanding the knowledge and competence of advanced photographic processes. The course also will provide an overview of media studies via screenings, lectures, discussions and readings.
Those taking "Comparative Mythology" will learn about several ancient cultures from around the world and examine how the geography, historical events and cultural values of those civilizations shaped their mythological narratives.
As a culminating project for the semester, they will write or produce an original myth or hero story either in print, video or audio format.
Students will explore the "Crossroads of Poetics and Visual Arts" in this fall SHGA course offering. As they learn about ways in which art has inspired poets and writers and how the written word inspires artists, participants will write poems, create visual poetry and compare similar themes across visual art and verse.
In addition to these courses, SHGA is offering two virtual exchange opportunities next year through a partnership with sister schools worldwide.
"Sacred Heart Global Exchange" gives students a way to develop their global mindset by learning more about other cultures while strengthening their international language skills.
Participants meet monthly in small groups with peers from across the global Sacred Heart community. Groups will be organized based on the international language their members are studying.
"Solidarity and Sustainability" brings students from network schools across North America together monthly to discuss global issues centered around equity, open communication and the building of community.
Sacred Heart Global Academy got its start prior to the 2020-21 term with discussions between the heads of school at Forest Ridge and Woodlands Academy about ways of jointly providing excellent educational opportunities to students unable to attend classes on the campuses of the two all-girls college-prep schools due to the pandemic.
During the program's inaugural run, educators soon discovered a variety of other advantages and benefits to its virtual programming.
More details about SHGA and course registration information are available on the websites of Woodlands Academy, www.woodlandsacademy.org; Forest Ridge, www.forestridge.org; and the other network schools joining them this fall.