AP Spanish Engages With Global Citizenship

Students in Doctora Bernath's AP Spanish Language and Culture presented their projects this week. This fourth-year course allows students to explore global issues, education, politics, and healthcare systems while developing high-level oral and written communication skills. Students examine the concept of global citizenship and engage with the Spanish-speaking world in a variety of ways, developing proposals for non-profit organizations, engaging in cultural comparisons, drafting communication to local and world organizations, and writing argumentative essays.

Doctora Bernath shared, “It was a pleasure to see the students apply the critical thinking and analytical skills that they have been developing throughout the year in a creative project outside of the AP exam format. Students were required to define clear objectives and demonstrate a thoughtful connection with the AP curriculum. Each project evolved in different ways, depending on student interest.”  

The flexible format landed on a variety of projects such as creating a nonprofit organization and a newspaper that focused on combating gender-based violence in Perú, writing a letter to a political figure in South America, a deep dive into the social, cultural, and historical significance of Bolivia through an extensive seven-day itinerary, a board game comparing the quality of life and privilege in Colombia and the United States, and a mock-newspaper highlighting the objectives and focuses of the AP curriculum. 

“This project gave us an opportunity to explore the profound social obstacles many people face in Colombia where freedoms are extremely limited and safety is a low priority,” said Bianca R. ’22 and Rojan N. ’22. “While there is much progress to be made here in the United States, we also need to check our privilege to live here when it comes to security and freedoms on a global scale.”