From Rural to Global: Public High School Internationalization Efforts in Rural Wyoming

The presence of internationalization efforts is primarily concentrated at the higher institutional level, excluding a certain demographic of students that do not attend college. Yet, if the overall objective of internationalization is to contribute to a more interconnected and interdependent world, then internationalization efforts need to extend to the public high school domain so that all of our youth can develop the skills and aptitudes needed to succeed in a globally connected world. This internationalization course-linked capstone analyzes current internationalization efforts that are integrated into the curriculum at the public high school level; specifically, at JACKSON HOLE HIGH SCHOOL located in rural Wyoming. After conducting interviews with teachers and administrators at the high school in combination with local research, the study revealed that JACKSON HOLE HIGH SCHOOL executes a few international efforts into their curriculum, however they are not following a conceptual or operational policy that supports comprehensive internationalization. This is a consequence of professional development barriers, inequities in regards to student access to engage in courses with an international component, and the disinclination of some stakeholders. Throughout this capstone, I present a conceptual framework that suggests certain adjustments and isolated changes that the high school can take to begin a transformation process towards internationalization. This study aims to encourage not only JACKSON HOLE HIGH SCHOOL but all public high schools in rural locations, to expand and implement more internationalization undertakings in order for students to achieve a mindset of shared responsibility and collaboration