Glenbrook Academy of International Studies

In the late 1970s, the faculties of The Glenbrook High Schools developed a Statement of Philosophic Goals and Objectives for the 1980s. At the core of that document was the following assertion:

“We believe that man is essentially a rational being with the potential for developing his unique talents to create and sustain a wholesome existence. To realize this philosophic goal, we believe that the school should teach and the young should achieve the following objectives: 1) To recognize that individual and cultural values other than their own have purpose and validity; and 2) To know that the world's people are becoming increasingly interdependent and to accept membership in an ever-widening world community as essential to human progress.”
 
Implicit in this statement is a recognition of the same global realities which prompted 35 nations to sign the Helsinki Accords in 1975. The final act of those Accords committed the signatory nations “to encourage the study of foreign language and civilization as an important means of expanding communication among peoples.”
 
American efforts to fulfill the terms of this international agreement were initiated in April of 1978, when President Jimmy Carter appointed a special commission to evaluate the current state of foreign language and international studies and their impact on our nation’s internal and external strength. In November of 1979, The President’s Commission on Foreign Language and International Studies published its report and recommendations. That report included the following statement:
 
“We are profoundly alarmed by what we have found: a serious deterioration in this country’s language and research capacity, at a time when an increasingly hazardous international military, political and economic environment is making unprecedented demands on America's resources, intellectual capacity and public sensitivity.”
 
Illinois was one of the first states to respond to the challenge of finding ways of improving the critical global component of education. A state task force recommended the establishment of a series of planning seminars to encourage serious public consideration of the issue. In December of 1979, The State Board of Education sponsored the first of these meetings in Peoria; a delegation from The Glenbrook High Schools was in attendance.
 
In February of 1980, a joint committee of Glenbrook North and Glenbrook South faculty was organized to research the development of a district-wide international studies program. The work of this committee resulted in a proposal for the creation of a four-year program to be called The Glenbrook Academy of International Studies and designed for academically talented students. On February 2, 1981, the Board of Education unanimously approved the program.
 
In the fall of 1981, The Academy opened with its first class of ninth graders. For the next three years a new class entered each year. In the spring of 1985, Dr. Lee Anderson, Chairman of the Department of Political Science at Northwestern University and a respected authority on international education, examined The Academy’s program as part of a district-wide educational evaluation. After witnessing the work of students and teachers, Dr. Anderson summarized his feelings: “Seeing what you have accomplished with this program has restored my faith in American secondary education.” Dr. Anderson continued as follows:
 
“To visit The Academy is to observe a living example of excellence in American education. Were the members of the visitation committee to be asked by foreign visitors to show them some examples of outstanding American educational programs, there is no question the committee would take them to see The Academy.
 
“The Academy offers students an outstanding opportunity to learn a foreign language. Moreover, the strength of the overall program is augmented by efforts to link foreign language instruction with social studies and literature.
 
“The classroom climate clearly facilitates learning and particularly the development of thinking skills. It is relaxed but demanding of students and teachers alike. Emphasis is placed on the development of analytical skills. A high level of intellectual excitement is clearly evident. Indeed, the level of intellectual discussion observed by the committee members exceeds much of what they have experienced in college classrooms, including graduate seminars.”
 
By June of 1985, the first graduates of The Academy agreed with Dr. Anderson that the program had indeed made a significant impact on their lives. More than two decades later and several years into the twenty-first century, today’s Academy faculty and students remain committed to academic excellence with a global vision.

Essential Questions for Study

In their four years together, Academy students and their teachers freely cross disciplines, cultures, and centuries. The Academy faculty deems the following questions essential because they nurture reflection and discussion on identity, expression, perspective, change, conflict, and truth—concepts that define us as individuals and bind us as a learning community.
 
Identity
What groups, formal and informal, do humans create and belong to? How do groups shape identity?
How do humans create voice and identity through form and structure?
What role does national identity play in forming individual identity? What role does personal imagination play in shaping national identity?
How can we better understand others’ perspectives and other cultures’ values? 
How do we consider and evaluate the various sources at our disposal?
 
Expression
Do spiritual and material pursuits result in greater happiness or wisdom for humans?
What can stories tell us about what it means to make sense of the world?
How do history, literature, and languages shape us? What happens when we interpret history, literature, and languages through lenses of gender, race, social class, family, community, or personal experience?
What is the role of language in global issues?
 
Perspective
How has technology affected humans’ relationship with the earth?
How do humans succeed or fail to co-exist?
What is the American definition of success? What roles do convention, creativity, and fulfillment play in this definition?  Are there alternative definitions? 
How can we better understand others’ perspectives and other cultures’ values? 
How do we consider and evaluate the various sources at our disposal?
 
Change
Why and when did inequality among humans emerge? With what consequences?
What has caused the reconception of the universe and how have humans handled new ideas?
What have we gained, or lost, through progress?
How do increasing globalization and accelerating technological change affect us?
 
Conflict
What are the notable achievements of “Eastern” and “Western” civilizations? Are such distinctions valid?
How do individuals and societies deal with extreme anxiety?
What is the place of questioning authority in the American identity?
What forces affect our understanding of the world?
 
Truth
What is education? What ends does it serve? What voices and groups tend to control discussion and inquiry?
As readers, writers, speakers, listeners, and thinkers, how do we work together in a mutually satisfying and productive way?
From what sources do we derive our values and beliefs? Do we freely choose them or are we programmed by history and culture?
What can be expected as a result of an Academy education?

Glenbrook Academy faculty members have identified a range of ideal attributes for Academy graduates to demonstrate in adult lives of leadership and service. These attributes both provide focus for current Academy curriculum and underpin the planning for new initiatives.
 
As an individual, the Academy Graduate . . .

• is ethical, honorable, and loyal
• is passionate and compassionate
• is unabashedly idealistic
• seeks to excel and quests for quality
• is confident 
• solves difficult problems creatively 
• makes connections easily
• synthesizes ideas across disciplines
• is an excellent communicator 
• is innovative
• possesses a healthy work ethic
• is multilingual
• seeks a deep understanding of beauty
• seeks personal and professional fulfillment
• is eager to learn and to keep learning

 
As a community member, the Academy Graduate . . .

• is aware of current local, national, and world events
• is aware of and conversant with cultural differences
• is active in civic, community, and political groups
• is a protector of human rights
• fosters strong family and other personal relationships
• is adaptable and flexible to challenges and opportunities
• challenges boundaries by taking risks

Where They Continue To Study 
Since 1985, when the first class of Academy students graduated from Glenbrook North and Glenbrook South High Schools, the following colleges and universities have granted admission to our graduates: