CEGS faculty present at global conference

Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Center for Global & Entrepreneurial Studies (CEGS) department was recently represented at the Global Educators Conference hosted by the Global Education Benchmark Group (GEBG). The event was held at the Collegiate School in Richmond, Va., April 25-26. CEGS faculty members Michael Dziura and Wally Swanson presented at the conference.

Mr. Swanson, Director of CEGS, serves on the board of GEBG, which is a consortium of more than 120 independent schools from across the country and the world dedicated to global understanding. He was a featured presenter at the conference and conducted a workshop on the finance and marketing of global programs for educators just beginning this initiative.

Mr. Dziura served as a faculty leader during a GEBG sponsored trip to Cambodia in June of 2013. He shared his films, which he created specifically for the Cambodia travel that WMA participated in as part of the GEBG consortium, as a way to record student experience and market opportunities to parents and students.

“This school year we built curriculum around Cambodia to support our travel,” said Mr. Dziura. “Next year our travel and study will focus on Islam and Turkey.”

The conference brought together global program directors, heads of school, and teachers from around the country to share best practices concerning the integration of global learning into college preparatory academic programs.

“The conference also gives educators an opportunity to share ideas on how to ensure safe, purposeful and academically relevant overseas travel,” said Mr. Swanson.

Both Mr. Dziura and Mr. Swanson are also contributors to the soon to be published iBook, produced by the Global Education Benchmark Group "Global Education: The Roadmap to Program Development."