Global Curriculum

The faculty at Ransom Everglades works hard to develop a global curriculum. All Middle School students learn Spanish, providing them with an opportunity to develop proficiency in three languages by the time they graduate. The Chinese language program began in 2006 and today enrolls over 100 students from grade seven through the AP level, complementing offerings on campus in Spanish, French and Portuguese. Through the school's membership in the Global Online Academy, RE students can also take courses in Arabic and Japanese, as well courses of topics ranging from medical problems solving to genocide, with students from around the country and around the world. Global perspectives are emphasized in the English and social sciences departments. In addition to classics like The Odyssey, To Kill a Mockingbird and Shakespearean literature, texts representative of global cultures are found in every level of the English curriculum, ranging from the works of Paulo Coehlo to Gabriel Garcia Marquez to Rabindranath Tagore. In social sciences, the curriculum has shifted from a focus on western civilizations to world history, particularly in the eighth and ninth grades; sixth graders study the meaning of citizenship across the world, while upperclassmen have the chance to explore social entrepreneurship in a global context.

The Middle School ¡Somos Miami! Spanish classes went on a field trip on October 20th, 2015. The students had a great time and learned about Spanish painters Goya and Dalí, as well as about Operation Peter Pan.

Course Materials

List of 3 items.

Social Sciences Courses in a Global Curriculum
- World Cultures and Geography (6th grade)
- World Civilizations to 1500 (8th grade)
- World Civilizations since 1450 (9th grade)
- Global Entrepreneurship Seminar Honors
- Latin American Studies Honors
- Living Religions
- AP Comparative Government and Politics
- AP European History
- AP World History
Selected Texts in 6th and 9th grade English Curriculum
- Sue Park's A Long Walk to Water (South Sudan)
- Ji-li Jiang's Red Scarf Girl (China)
- Christina Gonzalez' The Red Umbrella (Cuba)
- Jamaica Kincade’s Annie John (Antigua)
- Banana Yoshimoto’s Kitchen (Japan)
- Athol Fugard’s "Master Harold"...and the Boys (South Africa)
- “The Book of Ruth” (Hebrew)
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s "The Headstrong Historian" (Nigeria)
- Sherman Alexie’s "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven" (Native American)
- Edwidge Danticat’s "A Wall of Fire Rising" (Haiti)
Texts informing Social Science Curriculum
- World Studies: Latin America, Africa, Asia and Pacific, Foundations of Geography (6th grade)
- World History: Volume 1 (8th grade)
- Ways of the World: A Global History (9th grade)
- The Human Record: Sources of Global History (AP World History)
- Voices of Wisdom: A Multicultural Philosophy Reader (Philosophy Honors)
- A World Religions Reader (Living Religions)

Additionally, co-curricular organizations offer students the chance to engage in global issues directly. RE students are committed to both local and international service.

Some of the Service Organizations at RE

List of 4 items.

Human Rights Coalition

The Human Rights Coalition is an umbrella organization led by students that aims to raise awareness about Human Rights violations and engage in a variety of initiatives designed to preserve and ensure those rights. The Coalition sponsors students at a school in Ethiopia, organizes and teaches classes through Breakthrough Miami, engages in letter writing campaigns sponsored by Amnesty International, disseminates news articles about current Human Rights violations, and sparks conversations about relevant issues.
RE Haiti Initiative

In the wake of the 2009 earthquake in Haiti, the RE Haiti Initiative sought to gain a clearer understanding of the political climate and circumstances shaping the human condition in Haiti and to provide aid to a Haitian orphanage. In the spring of 2014 the members of the initiative visited the country and met with the Prime Minister, President of the Senate and the General Secretary of the Parliament, and then the group visited the St. Helene Orphanage, which had been the focus of their fundraising activities. The members of this Haiti Initiative organized a collection for, and delivered bedding, shoes, and athletic equipment to the hundreds of orphans living at the orphanage.
LEAP (Leading To End All Poverty)

LEAP (Leading To End All Poverty) is a microlending club, whose mission is to grant small loans to underserved entrepreneurs in nations around the world. Students meet weekly to identify potential borrowers and extend loans –from club funds through the nonprofit organization, Kiva. During the lending process, students consider the cultural, environmental, and demographic contexts of potential borrowers in addition to traditional financial qualifications. The club provides students a unique opportunity to help underserved communities while learning about microfinance and gaining a broader cultural awareness.
TECHO Club

The TECHO Club creates awareness and fundraises for the construction of houses in the Dominican Republic. Two ninth grade students initiated and organized the club in 2013, and it has evolved in its third year to include a large group of students. The club primarily engages in fundraising and educational activities. In March 2015 a group of students accompanied by their parents spent three days in the Dominican Republic, building homes with the money raised by the club.