Return to Headlines
First Graduating Class Of Folsom High's Global Program Studies
April 4, 2014
Founded three years ago at Folsom High, the Global Program Studies (GPS) has their first graduating class this year. Seniors gain a greater global perspective in this program as they research a topic and create a project to apply their learning.
According to the GPS homepage at Folsom High School, GPS, “connects global perspectives with global experiences through the infusion of an international studies curriculum. The purpose of this academic program is to allow our students to enhance their learning opportunities to better meet the challenges of life in a changing world.”
GPS requires student involvement throughout all four years of high school and a Senior Project on their fourth year for the GPS diploma. Seniors create a globally-centered project of their choice, looking to solve a worldwide problem.
Rebeca Griner, a senior of Folsom High, did her project on the Peace Corps and created a website and Facebook page to encourage interest among teenagers. She researched about the Peace Corps because of her interest in working for them in the future.
“In 2010 I went on a science trip to Costa Rica and we got to see their village and school,” Griner said. “It was really poor, run down, and unsanitary, so I decided I wanted to join the Peace Corps to help people like them.”
Viviana Bermudez and her group made a water filter that could be used by people overseas. It was made of practical materials (like a bucket, rocks, sand, charcoal, strainer, fabric). Her group sent their design to a website that will either implement their design or give feedback on how they can make it more practical.
Another senior in the GPS program, Esther Tejano, chose to focus her project on marine conservation with an emphasis in the whaling industry. She and her group gave a fifteen minute presentation on the cetacean species, the history of the whaling industry, and modern debates on captivity and the unhealthy risks behind meat distribution. Her group even created their own website to raise awareness on how the whaling industry really works.
Esther Tejano said, “I am definitely honored in being part of the first graduating class for this program. It gives me the opportunity for a wider appreciation towards other cultures and traditions, as well as raised awareness towards global issues.”
GPS offers a global perspective to a sometimes limited education; it teaches students to think worldwide, which can be invaluable for future careers. This first graduating class marks a significant achievement in the program and we would like to congratulate this class on their success.
###