Global Education

Relationships are the center of community-building at Nightingale, where each student develops a keen sense of self while embracing identities beyond their own. Through inquiry-based projects, students gain a deeper understanding of the strength and beauty that lie in differences. Honoring the community makes students active participants in a world that celebrates diversity in all of its forms.

In Lower School, students share stories through lively discussions of family, home life, occupations, and different cultural traditions. Held annually each spring, families from all divisions are invited to contribute their expertise and insights at Cultural Night, one of Nightingale's most beloved community events. At Cultural Night, the Schoolhouse transforms into a hub of global destinations, celebrating numerous cultures within the community. Upon arrival, students receive a "passport" and receive a stamp from each room they visit. At each destination, families share their culture through food, decorations, tradition, dance, and more.

In the Environmental Field Studies Program, Class VII and Class VIII students with a deep appreciation for science have an opportunity to delve into their interests by participating in a research trip. Accompanied on their travels by science faculty, students spend time in the classroom every day—whether that be a physical building or the ocean—while also having time for excursions. Immersed in the environment, students learn about desert ecology (flora and fauna), and depositional and erosional processes that shape landscapes. The ESFS Program alternates every other year with the Costa Rica Field Studies Program, where students study biology and ecology.

In 2024, the ESFS program journeyed to The Island School in The Bahamas. There, the main points of study were coral reef ecology, shark research and conservation, mycology, aquaponics, island sustainability, and the impact of climate change and pollution on the world’s oceans.

At Manhattan Children’s Center, Class V students venture beyond the blue doors to work alongside children with autism and other special needs and build communication and socialization skills while establishing friendships. Nightingale students bring support and joy to their new buddies as they build empathy, compassion, and respect for children who learn differently. Each year, Class V students contribute to raising awareness about autism.

Round Square is a vibrant, connected network of 200 independent schools in 50 countries around the world. As part of this consortium, Nightingale students develop competence, character, and understanding in support of six IDEALS: Internationalism, Democracy, Environmental Sustainability, Adventure, Leadership, and Service. Learning by doing, supporting communities in need, going beyond one’s comfort zone, and becoming agents of positive change inspire Round Square and its partner schools’ ground-breaking work.

It’s hard to imagine bringing as much joy, enrichment, growth, and perspective to education as time living and studying abroad. Nightingale’s program encompasses amazing opportunities for students to travel the world while augmenting their studies in literature, history, science, math, and art. Students expand their knowledge of global cultures everywhere, from South Africa to London to China. Study abroad at Nightingale galvanizes academics through a real sense of global citizenship, awareness, and agency in the world.