COSTA MESA

School Gets $35,000 State Grant for International Studies

Costa Mesa High School has been granted $35,000 by the state Department of Education to fund its international studies program for seventh- and eighth-graders.

Betsy Arns, a counselor at the school, said the money came at a time when it was desperately needed. “With the [Orange County] bankruptcy, there is little funding available for things like this,” she said.

The money will pay for teachers to visit other middle schools that are employing new teaching techniques and will pay for an adviser from Stanford University to visit the school and make recommendations. It will also fund additional schooling in international studies for the teachers.

Costa Mesa won the award on the basis of its innovative teaching methods, Arns said. The school uses an interdisciplinary approach, applying skills from math, science, humanities and social science to learn about the history of other countries.

“The seventh-graders learn about world history and geography. They study everything from the Middle East and Islam to Central and South American history and medieval Japan,” said Arns. “Then they learn about how each culture has brought something to U.S. history and democracy.”

The goals of the project are twofold. Students are introduced to issues of global conflict and resolution. They are also taught about the contributions that various cultures have made in American society, she said.

“It is an international world now,” Arns said.

“It’s very important for them to learn that and learn about other people if they are going to be successful.”