“We want students to understand that Chicago isn’t everything, that we have a responsibility toward the larger world that we are a part of.”
— Head of School Mercedes Z. Sheppard
World Ready
From preschool to senior year, we show our students the world, integrating a perspective-widening, global focus throughout the MPA experience.
Scores of students travel abroad each year, and on campus we interpret events and ideas in their larger, global context, challenging students of all ages to step outside their comfort zones and their zip codes. Learning from and with peers from a host of cultures and nationalities, students prepare to meet head-on the challenges of an increasingly global world.
Study of world languages begins in PreK, and students explore French, Mandarin, and Spanish on a rotating basis before picking a language to focus on in fifth grade.
Exploration at Every Age
Lower School
Learning beyond borders.
Middle School
Stepping out into the world.
Upper School
Becoming global leaders.
Global Events
More to Explore
Meet Our Teachers — Dr. Heng Zhao
Dr. Heng Zhao has played a leading role in the evolution of Morgan Park Academy’s global studies program since 2013. A dynamic and much-loved teacher of Mandarin language and Chinese culture in the Upper School and Middle School, she also has directed our Upper School global studies program, including Project Week, since 2016.
Global Week 2023
One key part of Morgan Park Academy's global curriculum is a school-wide Global Week each March. Upper School and Middle School students and teachers come together outside the classroom to share a broader range of learning experiences focused on language and culture, service, and sustainability. Lower School students explore the world's countries and cultures closer to home.
Welcoming the Year of the Rabbit
MPA's global curriculum took center stage during our annual Lunar New Year celebration, featuring song, dance, and performances by Mandarin students and our international students from China.
Welcoming International Students From Across the Globe
Ranked for years among the most diverse private schools in Illinois, Morgan Park Academy’s focus on global studies and community diversity includes the arrival of 14 high school students from China, France, Germany, Spain, and Taiwan for the 2022-23 school year.
Summer Adventure in the American Southwest
Each summer, the Middle School experience at MPA includes an optional trip for students to experience our amazing U.S. national parks.
Global Week 2022
One key part of Morgan Park Academy's global curriculum is a school-wide Global Week each March. Upper School and Middle School students and teachers come together outside the classroom to share a broader range of learning experiences focused on language and culture, service, and sustainability. Lower School students explore the world's countries and cultures closer to home.
Art Exhibit Celebrates Black Contributions in American History
A new art exhibit is now on display in the […]
Welcoming International Students From Across the Globe
Ranked for years among the most diverse private schools in Illinois, Morgan Park Academy’s focus on global studies and community diversity includes the arrival of 13 high school students from China, France, Italy, Norway, Spain, and Taiwan for the 2021-2022 school year.
Celebrating Black History
Proud to be one of the most diverse and inclusive […]