Asia Society Looks Back at 2014 Highlights from our International Studies Schools Network
As we usher in the New Year, Asia Society’s Education Department shares a few highlight achievements from within our International Studies Schools Network (ISSN) during 2014. The ISSN is a national network of design-driven public schools aimed at developing college-ready, globally competent high school graduates. Asia Society works in partnership with school districts and charter authorities to create and nurture the ISSN, which currently includes 25 schools in urban and rural communities across the United States.
From the Houston Academy for International Studies: Melissa Helene Jacobs-Thibaut, the school’s principal, was one of 8 principals to receive the Terrel H. Bell Award from the Department of Education. Named for the second Secretary of Education, the award recognizes principals for outstanding work and the vital role they play in guiding their students and schools to excellence, frequently under challenging circumstances. Read the Department of Education announcement here.
Two ISSN schools were cited in the U.S. News & World Report’s Best High Schools rankings for 2014: the Denver Center for International Studies in Denver, CO, and the International School of the Americas in San Antonio, TX, were recognized in the top 500 schools across the country out of a total of 19,411 public high schools. Both schools have been in the Asia Society’s ISSN since 2006 and 2004 respectively. Also recognized are Walter Payton (an ISSN alumni school in Chicago, IL) with a Gold Medal and the International Studies Learning Center (in Los Angeles, CA) with a silver medal. The coveted rankings are basedon factors including student/teacher ratio, test scores and how well the schools prepare students for college.
From the Ambassador School of Global Leadership: Felix Ruano, a recent graduate of the Ambassador School of Global Leadership in Koreatown, Los Angeles, was named one of “30 Top Thinkers Under 30” by Pacific Standard. Felix’s service work in Mexico and Nicaragua exemplifies the global competence the ISSN schools strive to foster in students. A Gates Millennium Scholar, Felix spoke at the Asia Society’s 2013 Partnership for Global Learning Conference about global education, and how it builds a culture of empathy.
Congratulations to all!