Global Studies

Through authentic interaction and an intentional curriculum, Haverford School’s Global Studies programs seek to develop in its community members an engagement with, a respect for, and an understanding of international cultures as well as of the common issues facing our global community.

The convergence of rapid technological advances and exponential growth in the capacities of developing nations suggests that the world is increasingly smaller and more closely connected. To prepare boys to be global citizens in this new world requires the development of collaborative problem-solving and learning skills, a sense of shared responsibility to uphold the human rights of all global citizens, the advancement of cross-cultural literacy skills through respecting and valuing human differences, and the ability to analyze and understand the interconnectedness of world events and global issues both past and present.

Haverford provides a mission-driven education built on its three core values: honesty, respect, and courage.  Global Studies, a major focus of the 2010 Strategic Vision, targeted the following additional core competencies:

• Investigate the world beyond his immediate environment with an open mind, acquiring deep content knowledge and understanding beyond his community, region, nation, and culture.
• Recognize his and others’ perspectives and understand the role these differing viewpoints can play in issues of global concern.
• Communicate his ideas effectively with diverse audiences.
• Collaborate through a variety of models and media with peers, neighbors, and global partners to develop practical solutions to real-world problems.
• Translate his ideas and findings into appropriate actions to improve conditions locally and globally.

Adapted from The Asia Society

Andrew Poolman’s passion for travel and appreciation of other cultures started from a young age.

He remembers traveling to England to visit his father’s side of the family and many of those journeys spilled into continental Europe. As a malleable 16-year-old, his soccer team experiences in France and Italy and his participation in the March of the Living in Poland and Israel, instilled the values that guide him professionally and personally today. He graduated from Carlisle High School in Pennsylvania in 1999 and matriculated to Haverford College.

As a student on the other side of the Duck Pond, Andrew never imagined a career in education, let alone several years at the boys’ school down the street. His college years began with an interest in economics, but a summer internship at the Philadelphia Stock Exchange helped him to realize that a career in finance wasn’t for him. Study abroad experiences in Málaga, Spain, and Santiago, Chile, solidified his interest in the Spanish language and Hispanic culture. Andrew graduated with a B.A. in Spanish in 2003 and wrote a thesis “Soccer: A space of political expression in Chile.”

A year of working at the Country Day School – Guanacaste in Costa Rica as a boarding school intern and geometry teacher laid the groundwork for his career in education. Prior to being on The Haverford School faculty, Andrew worked at the Trinity-Pawling School in Pawling, N.Y., for three years, where he taught Spanish and coached soccer, squash, and golf. Between the academic years of 2006 to 2009, he spent four summers earning a master’s degree in Spanish from Middlebury College.

When the time came to move along from the boarding school lifestyle, Andrew felt fortunate to land a job at The Haverford School in 2007. In his seven years as a full-time Spanish faculty member, he taught all levels of Upper School Spanish and enjoyed creating and developing a Spanish 5 elective course “Cine del mundo hispano” (Film of the Hispanic World). In 2010, he was honored with the “Preparing Boys for Life Teaching Excellence Award,” and his lesson “Sports and Spanish” was published in the book 125 Years for the Boys: Best Practices from The Haverford School.

In 2012, Andrew was appointed as Haverford’s first Director of Global Studies. After its first few years of growth, the Global Studies program nowadays offers numerous opportunities for Haverford boys to travel domestically and internationally. Around 40% of boys participate in one of our travel programs before they graduate, a vast majority of middle school boys take their first foray into academic travel in Puerto Rico, and all boys encounter global competency development across the curriculum. 

Outside of the classroom, Andrew coached varsity squash for seven years and led his team to two Inter-Ac and MASA regional titles, and a 2nd place finish at the National High School Team Championships in 2016. He has also coached alongside coaches Kevin Tryon and Bill Brady as part of the school’s successful soccer program.