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Saint Andrew's School is a member of Global Online Academy (GOA), a consortium of schools around the world whose mission is to reimagine learning to empower students and educators to thrive in a globally networked society. 

What is GOA?

GOA is an international consortium of schools spanning six continents and more than 30 countries, united by a mission to “empower students, teachers, and leaders to reimagine learning to thrive in a globally networked society.” Through GOA, students can explore over 60 advanced elective courses, spanning eight different learning pathways, which allows them to dive deeper into specific areas of interest or discover new topics beyond the traditional curriculum. However, coursework does include some synchronous components, such as when students collaborate together, or work with their teacher, at a set time and using video conferencing software. These classes provide students the unique opportunity to engage with expert teachers and collaborate with peers from around the globe, fostering a rich and diverse virtual learning environment. While the workload in GOA courses does vary (5-7 hours per week), participation in class on a regular basis each week is required.

How it Works

In a typical week, Upper School students have the option to commit five to seven hours to a GOA course and log in five to seven times to interact with their teacher and peers. Teachers design and publish coursework and calendars, and students can, within that framework, work on their own schedules. All student work is submitted and assessed in their Learning Management System. In addition, students communicate frequently with teachers and peers via tools like email, chat and video call. Students can expect to connect synchronously with teachers and classmates via video on a weekly or biweekly basis. Sections of GOA courses are limited to 20 students. Learn more about the GOA experience. 

Key benefits

Students partake in cross-cultural, global discussions, generating insights that they then bring back to their brick-and-mortar classrooms.

Students learn to share their local and personal perspectives on global issues with students from all over the world and are exposed to perspectives from their classmates that they otherwise wouldn’t encounter.

Students learn how to communicate and collaborate with people who aren’t in close proximity.

GOA uniquely prepares students for what they will encounter in college and the workforce.