Academies → Institute for Global and Cultural Studies (IGCS)
Institute for Global and Cultural Studies (IGCS)
News about IGCS
Overview
The Institute for Global and Cultural Studies (IGCS) is a unique high school program that prepares students for leadership in our global society. IGCS builds on students’ out of school experiences, challenging them to deepen their understanding of the world and its people.
IGCS students learn by doing. They travel beyond their communities, participate in rigorous course work, wrestle with real-world problems, and conduct independent research. Through the use of state of the art digital technology and teleconferencing, access to collegiate media resources and direct contact with scholars, dignitaries and diplomats, IGCS will provide a rich experience in contemporary global culture and issues.
Students who explore the global community through the humanities will find extraordinary access to music and art through digital media and they will have the unique opportunity to expand, create and enhance their musical and artistic talents through the use of iMac© based software and tools.
The academy courses sharpen students’ reading, writing, social science, foreign language and research skills. The academy will also connect IGCS students with faculty, staff, and students from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), Montgomery College (MC). Global immersion, professional expert access and media resources will be provided by the Georgetown University, Haas School of Foreign Service and the University of Maryland, College Park, Confucius Center for Asian Studies.
Qualified IGCS students may enroll in free college-credit bearing courses at Wheaton HS and can earn guaranteed admissions to UMBC and/or MC. Upon successful completion of IGCS humanities pathway, students will have a comprehensive immersion in regional global literature, language, history, humanities, and politics. Cultural pathway students will have a cultural immersion into regional global art and music. IGCS students will demonstrate their pathway expertise and achievements through a digital portfolio and capstone project.
IGCS students will be well-prepared for the college and career of their choice in our increasingly interconnected world.
Pathways
- Humanities Pathway (PDF)
- Digital Music Pathway (PDF)
- Digital Art Pathway (PDF)