Cross-Network Learning

Our global vision pillar is brought to life through the many opportunities our students have to visit Dwight campuses around the world, engage with their peers from other cultures, and learn with — and from — one another.

If you ask a student about a highlight of their Dwight journey, they will most likely tell you about the time they traveled to Kenya, performed in the Shanghai Concert Hall, toured the Tower of London, attended a student leadership conference in Luxembourg, and planted trees in Nepal, among other notable experiences. 

Sparking Collaborations Across Continents and into the Cloud

Cross-campus collaboration within and beyond the classroom is a hallmark of a Dwight education. 
These span creative experiences, such as music festivals, theater productions, and the launch of a student publication. Additional examples of the many unique programs and events students participate in with their counterparts at other Schools include:

Sparkathon:

Our Dwight Schools Global Sparkathon, launched in 2023, is a weekend-long design competition in which students in grades 6-12 participate on teams and compete against those on other campuses around the world to solve a pressing global issue. Our inaugural challenge was developed in partnership with the Ocean Conservancy, a global nonprofit dedicated to protecting the ocean and its wildlife. During the 48-hour Sparkathon, students applied their creativity and collaboration skills to develop innovative ways to remove plastic pollution from our oceans.

Curricular Connections:

Faculty and students connect with each other virtually classroom to classroom. This year, students in the IB Primary Years Program (PYP), which spans kindergarten-grade 5/year 6, shared some of their work and learning with peers at other Dwight Schools. This included Kindergarteners working on the same project in their IB unit of inquiry, “Where We Are in Place and Time;” and those in grade 5 who were preparing for their PYP Exhibition — a milestone event in their IB educational journeys. Additionally, second grade teachers around the world shared resources for their “How We Express Ourselves” stories unit. This collaborative approach fosters deeper social-emotional learning and a global perspective from the outset for every Dwight student.

Camerer Essay Competition:

Named for Dr. Emil E. Camerer, a prominent educator in his day who served as Dwight’s Headmaster in New York from 1895-1926, this long-standing annual competition for students in grades 9-11 extends to all campuses The winning entries from each School are entered into a global competition with an overall winner for each grade and a network-wide winner.

Student Exchange Programs and Transfers

While our singular Dwight mission unites our Schools, each one reflects its local culture and traditions. Dwight students have the opportunity to learn more about other cultures by living in another country and studying on another campus for a trimester or an entire year. Doing so expands their worldview, nurtures deeper intercultural understanding, and prepares young people to be well informed, thoughtful global leaders inspired to make positive changes in our world. 

Requirements and opportunities vary from School to School and each exchange experience is a bespoke arrangement among the individual student, their current Dwight School, and the host School. 

Additionally, students and families who relocate can benefit from the ability to transition smoothly between our campuses. They can expect to be welcomed by the familiar Dwight School family and experience the same high-quality IB learning without interruption. Students can also opt to pursue their studies online with Dwight Global Online peers.