Academies → Institute for Global and Cultural Studies (IGCS)
Institute for Global and Cultural Studies (IGCS)
Academy Director: Dorothy S. Hollingshead Department: (301) 929-2071
News about IGCS
On September 29th, Wheaton High School's Philharmonic Orchestra took their annual field trip to the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore, Maryland. This trip is a component of their partnership with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. The students sat onstage beside the professional musicians as they rehearsed Dvorak's "New World Symphony" under the direction of Maestra Marin Alsop. During the orchestra's break, Wheaton students participated in a question and answer session with the concert master and Maestra Alsop, who was the first woman to hold the position of Music Director of a major American symphony orchestra.
Overview
Do you …
- Want to enroll in up to 5 college courses, tuition free, while still in high school?
- Enjoy music art, English, world studies, and foreign languages?
- Dream of being a studio musician, composing music and beats for famous artists?
- See yourself as a lawyer, professor, journalist, community leader, or world traveler?
- Like learning about people and places all around the world?
- Want to learn about music performance through a professional musician?
- Look forward to a successful international career?
If so, the Institute for Global and Cultural Studies (IGCS) at Wheaton High School is for you! The Institute for Global and Cultural Studies is dedicated to creating global citizens who explore global and cultural issues from multiple perspectives. IGCS students will have the opportunity to experience the Digital Global Classroom while preparing for careers in an ever-changing international community. IGCS is a unique collaboration among Montgomery College, the MC World Music Ensemble, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Wheaton High School, designed to create and sustain a vibrant learning community through rigorous interdisciplinary curricula and programs, as well as meaningful community involvement. The Digital Music and Digital Arts pathways provide students with comprehensive music and art instruction through the use of our state-of-the-art Apple iMac digital music and art laboratory. The music experience is enhanced for student musicians with master classes and rehearsals taught by principal musicians and guest conductors from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at Strathmore Hall. IGCS graduates will be prepared to compete for admission into colleges, universities and institutes of higher education, to successfully complete high education degrees, and to assume leadership roles in their own and the global community.
Here is what students in the IGCS academy have to say –
“I like Global Issues because it’s a fun and exciting class. You learn really interesting things about the world and it teaches you how to appreciate what you have. IGCS is preparing me for college and life, and my teachers are great.” – IGCS student, class of 2011
“I had no idea I could learn music without learning an instrument first, but in the iMac lab you can. I wrote a song that I plan on publishing one day. I can’t believe we have all this at Wheaton.”- IGCS Digital Music student, class of 2010
Pathways
IGCS Pathway (PDF)