Global Scholars

Grades 11-12
Elective
Two Years
Prerequisites: junior standing, permission of Global Scholars Program Coordinator

The Global Scholars Program at Park Tudor School is a capstone academic experience in which uniquely motivated students have space and opportunity to become intellectually engaged to think rigorously about meaningful topics; develop the courage and self-direction to reflect on the transformative nature of purpose-driven inquiry; nurture the responsibility to participate effectively in scholarly dialogue, and advance resourcefulness and integrity required to transform ideas into purposeful, community-engaged action. 

Philosophies of Knowing (POK) is the centerpiece of the Global Scholars experience. It is a class environment in which students are asked to grapple with challenging concepts and unanswerable questions in order to gain a heightened self-awareness and confidence. It meets twice a week for two years, at the end of which, students present a self-chosen, self-directed paper to the Park Tudor community, which is the culmination of their independent research.

After an introduction to the different branches of philosophy, the first year begins with an inquiry into logic and reasoning. Students learn to identify deductive and inductive arguments and the various types of fallacies. This is followed by an exploration into epistemology and gives students practice in reflecting on the definition and nature of knowledge, the hierarchy of knowledge, and how we know what we know.  In the second semester of the junior year, students explore the nature of moral judgments, how value systems and political systems are derived, and how humans consider ethical problems and make moral decisions.   

With this background, students move during the second year to the exploration of metaphysics, Stoicism, the philosophy of language and sociolinguistics, hermeneutics, and other axiologies such as aesthetics. The final semester is tailored to the needs of the specific needs of the scholars in terms of their chosen content, the writing process, and making formal connections from one discipline to another. The final portion of the last quarter is spent preparing the presentation of their individual research projects.

Students begin early in the first quarter of grade 11 to explore possible topics for a two-year research project which is conducted independently under the guidance of a mentor, either a faculty member or a professional person from the community. In the course of the project, students learn various heuristics for identifying an appropriate topic; protocol involved in engaging the services of a mentor; methods for acquiring and validating information from a wide range of sources, including traditional sources in print; current sources available electronically; and the use of human resources as well.

Students engage in a series of self-assessments, intellectualizing as they do, their own work habits, the personal qualities they possess which promote or impede effective scholarship, and the readiness they demonstrate for independent work at the college level. These assessments are coordinated with the activities of the school’s college counselor and are designed to dovetail with the college application process. By the time the students complete the Global Scholars Program, they will have compiled a personal profile of themselves which may be presented to university personnel or prospective employers; this profile will be in the form of a program portfolio.

Global Scholars participate in school-sponsored community service during the two-year program. By volunteering their time to help others, students enhance their understanding of the world around them beyond what is taught in the classroom. The community interaction engages students in a world of cultural and ethnic diversity.

Students challenge themselves by completing Advanced Placement Exams in at least five subjects, including a World Language. By excelling on these exams, students can earn college credit and stand out against their peers in the college application process.

Students challenge themselves by becoming skilled in another language and learning its history and culture. The study of foreign language helps students to become global thinkers. 

Students must demonstrate a level of language acquisition of "intermediate low" as determined by the World Language Department.