The Community of Scholars program is a rigorous college-credit summer program designed for students entering their junior and senior years of high school. The Community of Scholars offers academically outstanding students the chance to broaden their understanding of international relations by enrolling in a three-credit college class designed just for them. Students admitted to this program will sample the undergraduate experience and take advantage of what the School of International Service (SIS) has to offer.
Community of Scholars will introduce you to the advancing field of global affairs through college-level coursework. Whether online or in class at AU, instructors will provide dynamic lectures and engage students in discussions as well as simulations, such as a mock UN debate. By the end of the program, you might find yourself developing a national security strategy or conducting a conflict assessment of an ongoing insurgency. You will visit government agencies and non-profit organizations to see how leading policy-makers put ideas into action. You will experience the excitement of Washington at work and see firsthand what others only read about.
American University
American University flourishes on one important principle—to prepare a generation of leaders committed to developing ideas into sustainable action that advances global public service.
A top-ten school of international affairs with more than 3000 students from 150 countries, AU’s School of International Service (SIS) is a diverse community dedicated to fostering service and academic excellence, building a sustainable future, bridging theory and practice, and promoting global peace, social justice and economic well-being. Its eight areas of study offer students a wide range of possibilities: Comparative and Regional Studies, Global Environmental Politics, International Communication, International Development, International Economic Policy, International Politics, Peace and Conflict Resolution, and United States Foreign Policy. In conjunction with its service mission, both AU and SIS are deeply committed to developing a sustainable community, as evidenced by SIS’ new “green,” LEED-gold certified building, which opened in 2010.
SIS values are carefully woven into the curriculum and adopted by the Community of Scholars summer program. According to SIS Dean James Goldgeier, “High school students interested in pursuing careers in international relations and passionate about creating meaningful change in the world will greatly benefit from this experience.”