Global Awareness, Inquiry, and Action (GAIA)

Part of Drew’s mission is to create respectful, responsible citizens in our local community, “where each kid counts”, to act as ambassadors to the rest of the world. In 2007, the Drew faculty formally created GAIA @ Drew. GAIA, or Global Awareness, Inquiry and Action, is a program designed to integrate perspectives on global issues into the Drew curriculum with the goal of fostering an informed citizenry capable of making the crucial decisions required in an ever-changing world. Our program takes on both academic and hands-on learning dimensions across disciplines. We believe that Drew students need to be educated about the challenges they inherit as global citizens and to, in turn, be offered a forum to address those challenges. Our GAIA @ Drew program does both. GAIA @ Drew provides opportunities for study, action and reflection.

Our all-school seminar, Global Initiatives, provides a semester-long, school-wide focus on important topics such as global warming, nuclear proliferation, food production, and the Iraq War. Read more.

Our annual Drew Education for Active, Lifelong Learning, DEALL, a week of hands-on learning, continues to provide travel and service learning opportunities with trips to El Salvador, Nicaragua, Japan, Austria and various Habitat for Humanity communities. Read more.

The Drew Humanitarian Action Committee (HAC) meets once a week to address the needs of victims of disaster, to raise student awareness of global crises and to take on the NAIS 20/20 Global Challenge.Thinking globally inspires local action and Drew students are becoming increasingly more active as volunteers in neighboring communities such as Dr. Cobb School, Booker T. Washington Community Center and Glide Memorial Church. The Drew Environmental Club provides additional teaching and action-oriented opportunities for our students, as does the International Club. Read more.

Drew’s Senegal Service Learning Project with the villagers of Keur Sadaro, has completed a six year committment. Students, side by side with the villagers of Keur Sadaro, have renovated the school, irrigated the fields, made way for a medical clinic and brought the internet to this small and remote African village. Read more.

GAIA@ Drew will evolve as new teachers and new students, with their unique talents and experiences, join our community. Our mission comes alive and thrives with the introduction of GAIA @ Drew.