Global Online Academy
BFIS has partnered with Global Online Academy, a nonprofit fully accredited online school which provides relationship and intellectualy rigorous online courses that go beyond the confines of the BFIS school curriculum, offering students the opportuntity to explore topics they’re passionate about through additional responsive and relevant courses.
BFIS is pleased to be among top leading independent schools from around the world in offering online courses as a member of the Global Online Academy.
BFIS GOA Site Director
BFIS Enrichment and Differentiation Coordinator, Jenna-Rae Warne, is the BFIS GOA Site Director. She is the person managing GOA student enrollment and support, and connecting GOA to the school community. As Enrichment and Differentiation Coordinator at BFIS, Jenna-Rae understands the current needs and interests of our students, and in doing so, she can foster strategic collaboration that supports the growth and development of GOA programs on campus.
Miranda Cryns
GOA Course Catalog
Summer 2023 courses and courses for school year 2023-2024
GOA Courses
The majority of GOA courses are one semester – 15 weeks — long, but students can also find a few yearlong classes and a wide variety of summer courses.
GOA courses are primarily asynchronous, meaning that students do not need to attend pre-determined class meetings times. Instead, 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. GOA and BFIS value the centrality of relationships between their teachers and students
Who can enroll in GOA courses?
At this moment, BFIS GOA courses are available to Grade 9 and 10 students, before students embark on the IBDP in 11th grade. Summer courses are available to all high school students.
Students can choose 1 semester course per year as a substitute to a BFIS semester elective, as long as the GOA course selected is not already offered by BFIS. Students can also enroll in summer courses that are condensed versions of semester courses.
Students cannot enroll themselves in GOA courses. Enrollment is done through the BFIS GOA Site Director, Jenna-Rae Warne, and it is tied to the high school elective process each Spring.
Important Dates
- March 31st, 2023: Enrollment open for 23-24 school year electives
- September 8th, 2023: Last chance to add or drop without penalty
- August 30th, 2023: Semester 1 opens
- September 15th, 2023: Last day to drop (50% course fee)
- December 15th, 2023: Semester 1 ends
- December 22nd, 2023: Semester 1 grade/Learning Reports distributed
- January 10th, 2024: Semester 2 opens
- January 19th, 2024: Last day to add or drop without penalty
- January 26th: Last day to drop (50% course fee)
- April 26th: Semester 2 ends
GOA Teachers
GOA learning experiences are led by expert teachers who are committed to knowing students, to connecting them to relevant academic content, and to engaging them in rigorous work that deepens understanding and builds skills that matter in school and in life.
GOA classes are designed and taught predominantly by teachers from Student Program Member Schools. In some cases, GOA hires experts from outside member schools to teach specific courses.
GOA Summer Courses
GOA summer courses offer a unique opportunity for students to learn more about their interests, explore a passion during the summer months, as well as advance in their coursework.
This summer, GOA is offering over 20 of its most popular semester courses in an intensive 7-week format for high school students. Most of these courses cover a semester’s worth of material and expect a 10-12 hour per week commitment from students. GOA is running two summer terms in 2023.
- Summer 1: Thursday, June 15 – Wednesday, August 2, 2023
- Summer 2: Thursday, July 6 – Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Explore the opportunities here. Please contact our GOA Site Director, Ms. Jenna-Rae Warne.
