Global Pathways Program

The DeLaSalle Global Pathways Program aims to create connections between students and the larger global community. Our program offers DeLaSalle students opportunities for international academic experiences and creates interconnections within the Lasallian network of schools and students. In building our students’ global competencies through travel, relationship building, reflection and action, our students gain the skills needed to be engaged in their local and global communities. Our motto, “Where Education Meets the World” encapsulates our commitment to producing well-rounded, globally aware student learners.

Global Pathways Scholars (G.P.S.) Program

Program Opportunities

Global Pathways Scholars (Global Competency Certificate)

GPs application information

Global Pathways Scholars Overview

Global Pathways Scholars (G.P.S.) Application

Global Pathways: Where education meets the world

DeLaSalle is excited to launch the Global Pathways Scholars (GPS) program, a pioneering initiative designed to further enhance students’ global competencies. This program will offer students in grades 10 through 12 the opportunity to earn a certificate demonstrating proficiency in global competency which will be endorsed on their final transcripts.

The DeLaSalle Global Pathways program demonstrates our dedication and commitment to educational innovation and global engagement. Our programming prepares students to navigate and contribute to a complex, interconnected world. Join us at DeLaSalle High School where education meets the world, and every student is empowered to become a global citizen.

What are Global Competency Skills?

Recognized by institutions around the world, Global Competency Skills are seen as important for students who want to engage with cultures other than their own, and who desire to make a difference in the world.

What’s the Process?

Applications will be open to students in the Class of 2028 in the Fall of 2025. They will need to complete the application form and provide the following:

Academic Record: Provide past and current grade reports verifying GPA and course history.
Resume: Outline activities, events, or skills that demonstrate intercultural engagement.
Essay: Write a 500-750 word response to the prompt:
What is the value of Global Competencies in our current global climate?
Event Proposal: Submit a list of 10 local events or activities that promote intercultural engagement.

Students will also need to provide two recommendations: One from a DeLaSalle teacher, One from a trusted adult outside of the school setting (e.g., coach, employer, minister). Finally, students will be interviewed by the GPS Application panel.

What’s the Commitment?

After acceptance into the GPS during their 10th-grade year, Islanders will spend the next three years engaging in a comprehensive curriculum that includes diverse coursework, as well as intercultural service learning, immersive experiences, and international travel. This multifaceted approach ensures that students gain a deep and practical understanding of global issues, cultures, and perspectives. The GPS program will culminate in their 12th-grade year with a capstone project that will synthesize their learning and experiences into a meaningful, real-world application.

What’s the value of the certification?

The Global Pathways Scholars program aims to produce graduates who are not only academically proficient but also culturally competent and globally aware. By completing this program, students will demonstrate their readiness to participate in and contribute to the global community, equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary for success in an interconnected world.

More and more, colleges and universities are seeing the value of global competencies-

To succeed in this new global age, our students will need capacities that include but go beyond reading, mathematics, and science – they will need to be far more knowledgeable and curious about world regions and global issues, attuned to diverse perspectives, able to communicate across cultures and in other languages, and disposed to acting toward the common good. Manzilla (Harvard Project Zero) and Jackson (Asia Society)

The endorsement of Global Competency skills on a student’s transcript will strengthen their academic resume, but most importantly, it will signify their ability to navigate as leaders in our ever-changing world

Who should participate?

10th-grade students (‘28) motivated to pursue higher level thinking and learning, curious about other cultures and perspectives, and want to make a difference in the world by taking action, should apply this spring. 9th grade students (‘29) will have the opportunity to apply in the fall of 2026.

International Academic Travel

Since the inception of the Global Pathways Program in 2006, more than 700 DeLaSalle students, alumni and staff have traveled extensively throughout the world, with trips to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Germany, Kenya, India, Ireland, Italy and Spain. DeLaSalle teachers and professors who are experts in their subject field – from art to history to the natural sciences – develop rigorous coursework that meets the highest academic standards.

The International Academic Travel provide many benefits to the DeLaSalle student:

Course Rigor: Facilitated by DeLaSalle faculty and other experts allowing for interdisciplinary coursework that is relevant to the destination.
Global Connections: Interacting with students from Lasallian schools in various destination countries offers students valuable insights into the lives of their peers from around the world.
Building Curiosity: Transformative experiences open students’ eyes to the similarities and differences of global cultures, systems, histories and perspectives.

Guatemala and Spain Academic Travel Now Open For Applications

Join students from DeLaSalle and Holy Family on a 12-day/11-night trip to Guatemala! Our trip will take place from July 13–July 24, 2026 and will include overnight stays in Guatemala City, San Lucas Tolimán, Parramos and Antiqua. This experience will immerse you in Guatemalan history and the Catholic church's involvement through the country's civil war (1960-1996). You will tour Guatemala City through the lens of social justice and spend time working side by side with the Catholic Mission in San Lucas Tolimán and the NPH education center in Parramos to understand the current needs of the Guatemalan people.

Students will earn up to 15 service learning hours. You will also explore the historic city of Antigua. Cost is $2,000–$2,700 depending on flights. Space is limited — complete this application to sign up!

Another option this summer: send your student on an academic journey with DeLaSalle students and teachers on a 11-day/10-night trip through Spain from May 31–June 10, 2026! Our trip will include travel through Barcelona, Zaragoza, Madrid, and Toledo. This experience will immerse students into real daily life: eating local foods, navigating neighborhoods, learning about regional languages, visiting essential cultural sites and discovering how geography shapes culture across Spain’s very different landscapes. Our travel will be grounded in relationships with Lasallian schools across Spain.

Cost is $4,200–$4,800 depending on flights. Space is limited — complete this application to sign up!

Recent Academic Travel Programs

Italy - Art History of Italy - June 2023

Brazil 2024

Greece History and Literature - June 2024

Italy - Art and History of Italy - June 2025

Past opportunities have also included trips to India (March 2014), Ireland (June 2014), Costa Rica (July 2014), Costa Rica (April 2015), Italy (June 2015), and Brazil (August 2015), Ecuador (June 2016), Costa Rica (June & July 2016), Bolivia (July-August 2017), Italy (June-July 2018) and Costa Rica (July-August 2019).

Exchange Programs

Exchanges

Many opportunities still exist for students to have a 4-5 week immersion experience in another country. We are sending students to Spain, Italy, Costa Rica, Brazil, and other countries through our 1:1 Exchange program, where families from both countries exchange students to and from another Lasallian school. To start the process, fill out this form. Then connect with Ms. Coughlan to set up an interview as the next step in the process.

Benefits of an Exchange Trip

Cost-Effect: Exchange students without tuition, limiting costs to travel, administrative services and personal expenses.
Transformative Relationships: Exchange of host families within the Lasallian school network fosters transformative relationships student-to-student and family-to-family.
Safe and Secure Environments: Long standing relationships between DeLaSalle and Lasallian partner schools ensure students are cared for and supported in their international learning communities.

International TEENS Project

Want to connect with Lasallian students across the world? Get involved with our International TEENS project. You will connect with students from up to 7 Lasallian schools across the globe. Students from Brazil, Greece, Italy, Spain and more team up to share experiences, research, and ideas on topics that are relevant to ALL teenagers, no matter what country you live in. This semester's topic is still in discussion amongst the Lasallian teachers. Students will meet and present information via Google Meet. Additional preparation time will also be required based on your schedule. Email or see Ms. Coughlan (D104) to sign up or get more information. Spots are limited.

Global Pathways Program Coordinator

For Martha Coughlan, the 2024-25 school year is especially significant for multiple reasons. Not only is DeLaSalle celebrating its 125th year on Nicollet Island, but Martha is also embarking on her 30th year with the school. She has recently been named Coordinator of the Global Pathways Scholar (GPS) Program—formerly the Global Advantage Program (GAP). This new role allows Martha to continue her passion for international learning and global competence. The GPS Program will continue to offer both semester-long exchanges and short-term study abroad opportunities, along with a new certification program that will distinguish DeLaSalle graduates in the college admissions process. Martha sees the Global Pathways Program as a “natural progression of who we are as a school… The program offers diverse perspectives, values unique life experiences, and explores the important question, ‘How are we the same?’”

For 30 years, and perhaps now more than ever, Martha Coughlan’s work has been grounded in a commitment to quality education, strong faith, and the Lasallian charism. As she reflects on her career and DeLaSalle’s rich history, she hopes the Global Pathways Program will prepare students from diverse backgrounds to be leaders in society and steadfast in the pursuit of the common good.

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