_A GLOBAL VISION_Schools are historically rooted in the villages, towns and cities in which they are situated. Almost all are single-city, single-country institutions. They teach about matters beyond their boundaries, but they do not operate in any meaningful way outside them. Over time, some have evolved to serve “national communities.” Leading examples include England’s Eton, India’s Doon School, America’s Exeter and China’s Shanghai High. While these “national” schools teach about the larger world and include students from diverse locations, their operations still largely exist in one country and on a single campus.
_If “local” schools are the first step in the evolution of schooling and “national” schools are the second step, the decades ahead are likely to bring the third step: _global schools. Thirty years from now there will likely be a number of such organizations. _Avenues plans to be the best of this new breed of educational institution—hence its subtitle: The World School.
_WHAT IS A GLOBAL OR WORLD SCHOOL?_Begin by thinking Avenues Beijing, Avenues London, Avenues São Paulo, Avenues Mumbai.
_Think of Avenues as _one international school with 20 or more campuses. It will not be a collection of 20 different schools all pursuing different educational strategies, but rather one highly-integrated “learning community,” connected and supported by a common vision, a shared curriculum, collective professional development of its faculty, the wonders of modern technology and a highly-talented headquarters team located here in New York City.
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