Introduction

In the fall of 1997, the educators at Cameron Heights established the Millennium Project. The purpose of this initiative was to investigate possible program changes that would benefit our student population. Numerous committees were formed, and after many hours of consultation and deliberation, a concept emerged that was a natural "fit" for our students: the Cameron Heights International Studies Program.

Since September 1999, the educational journey for all our students has been viewed through the framework of an international studies program. Learners are empowered by having them relate curriculum that transcends the traditional boundaries of the classroom to the realities of the global community. All students who attend Cameron Heights gain an international perspective on our shared humanity through their explorations in five Foundation courses (Grade 9 English, French, Geography; Grade 10 Science, History). These courses cover all aspects of the provincial curriculum but are enriched by international content and perspective. In English, for example, students study writing by Indian, South African, Chicano and Japanese-American authors. The French class learns about francophones in Algeria, Haiti and Belgium. These compulsory CIS (Cameron International Studies) credits are common to all school programs in all streams and lay the groundwork for further investigation in the International Certificate Programs.

The Cameron International Certificate Programs offer students three streams of study, and students choose the prescribed number of CIS electives. Internationalism permeates these elective courses in all streams and across the curriculum: a physics class challenges students to calculate the mass of the Eiffel Tower using Internet resources in the World-Links computer lab; a math class examines how five distinct cultures around the world each came up with the concept of pi; the pre-engineering class has students looking at building codes from a variety of countries. In addition to providing intellectual rigour, the program places strong emphasis on the ideals of international understanding and responsible citizenship.

Listed below is a brief description of each of our Certificate Programs followed by an outline of the program requirements.

R. Derksen, R. Payette