 After the turn of the century, the community of Lee’s Summit, as well as the United States as a whole, began to ask themselves, “How can we prepare our children for a global future?” In response to these concerns, a committee was formed in 2005 to explore ways in which the school district could address the changing needs of our student population. The answer was the Summit International Studies Academy (SISA), a capstone course at Summit Technology Academy that would give students the necessary skills to navigate a multicultural, global future. In 2006, it was decided that SISA would further break from traditional education by running the course as a year-long corporate simulation. Students would act as intercultural consultants by being trained to educate businesses on working in an intercultural, global environment. The first students enrolled in SISA for the 2008-2009 school year. Since that first year, SISA students have studied over 50 languages and worked with representatives from over 28 countries throughout the world. SISA was highlighted nationally in 2009 when the Lee's Summit R-7 School District was named as a first-place winner in the American School Board Journal’s 15th annual Magna Awards program due to the district's focus on global education and 21st Century skills. In 2012, SISA presented to the general assembly of the International Education Summit sponsored by the Missouri Department of Education. And there is more to come. SISA pursues international and local partnerships continuously. If you would like to be part of this exciting program, please contact us. |
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