Bard Network

Bard College at Simon’s Rock has been a leader in the early college movement for more than 40 years. Simon's Rock continues to distinguish itself as the only residential college in the country specifically designed to provide bright, highly motivated students with the opportunity to begin college immediately after the 10th or 11th grade. Students at Simon's Rock experience a transformative education in the liberal arts and sciences in the company of smart, independent, and creative peers. Simon’s Rock grants both the associate in arts degree and the bachelor of arts degree. The campus is located in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. MORE >>

Bard's Early College in New Orleans is a unique approach to early college education, extending the academic resources of a post-secondary institution into a public high school. Through partnerships with schools across the city, Bard offers tuition-free, college coursework to ambitious high school juniors and seniors who face obstacles to higher education. Our students earn Bard College credit in writing-intensive courses in the liberal arts, strengthening the critical and analytical skills needed to succeed in higher education. MORE >>

Bard College's Globalization and International Affairs Program provides a unique opportunity for university students and recent graduates from around the world to engage in the study and practice of international affairs. BGIA merges advanced coursework in international affairs with substantive professional experiences in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. During the fall and spring semesters, which run 15 weeks, students typically intern 25 hours a week; during the summer program, which runs eight weeks, students intern 40 hours a week or more. MORE >>

Bard High School Early Colleges (BHSEC) are public schools whose mission is to provide a challenging course of study that emphasizes thinking through writing, discussion, and inquiry. This alternative to the traditional high school is founded on the belief that many young people are ready and eager to do serious college work at age 16. These ambitious and highly motivated young adults typically enter BHSEC in ninth grade, earning a New York State high school Regents diploma and a tuition-free Bard College associate's degree in four years.

For more information:

• Bard High School Early College Manhattan
• Bard High School Early College Newark
• Bard High School Early College Queens
  

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The Bard College Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Rural Residency Program began in August 2009 with the creation of the Paramount Bard Academy (PBA). PBA is a public charter school in Delano, California serving a representative demographic of students from grades six to 12 in a rural region of the San Joaquin Valley. In June 2010, the MAT program accepted its first cohort of teacher candidates, sharing a common campus with PBA as the primary site for the MAT clinical residency. In partnership with PBA, the MAT program is committed to developing a model public school as a center for innovation and a catalyst for regional educational improvement. In an area that The Economist described as “the Appalachia of the West," addressing the hopes and potential of historically underserved students is a pressing responsibility. From its inception, the Bard MAT program in Delano has been committed to educating teachers to raise student achievement in local schools through a context-specific residency program. MAT candidates develop the ability to design and implement curricula and create learning environments that help students meet great expectations for academic achievement and personal growth. Candidates acquire these skills through an integrated program of graduate study in academic disciplines, advanced study in critical areas of education, and clinical apprenticeship at PBA and in other regional schools. PBA is also a Bard MAT Early College High School, offering motivated students in the 11th and 12th grades the opportunity to take college courses and earn Bard College credit at no cost as part of their high school program.

For more information:

• Bard Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program (Website)
  
• Director Ric Campbell Discusses the Bard MAT Program (Video)
  
• Bard MAT in Delano: The Bard MAT Experience (Video)
  
• Bard MAT Faculty: Creating Intellectual Communities (Video)

The Bard College Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Urban Residency Program was established in June 2010 when the Bard MAT campus in New York City relocated to the International Community High School (ICHS) in Bronx, New York. From its inception, the Bard MAT program in New York City has been committed to educating teachers who will raise student achievement in high-needs urban schools through a context-specific residency program. At ICHS, MAT candidates work with students and teachers in grades 6–12. They move between graduate courses and classrooms, connecting their studies to the daily challenges of teaching and learning. MAT faculty members work with ICHS teachers to advance learning goals for a population of recently immigrated students. English language learners constitute 100 percent of the student body, and more than 90 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch. This nationally unique program maximizes the time that MAT candidates spend working in a high-needs school setting. This exposure increases longevity and the likelihood of success for candidates who continue to teach in urban schools, offering historically underserved students the quality education they deserve. The program also places teacher education where it belongs: on site in the public schools, where innovation in teaching and learning is desperately needed.

For more information:

• Bard Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program (Website)
  
• Bard MAT in New York City: Student Voices (Video)
  
• Bard MAT in New York City: Changing Teacher Education (Video)
• Bard MAT in New York City: A Unique and Distinctive Program (Video)

The Paramount Bard Academy (PBA) is a public charter school that opened its doors to students in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California in August 2009. The school serves a population of students in grades 6–12 that matches the demographic of the region. PBA offers a singular program, distinguished by a lengthened school day, block scheduling, and an early college curriculum that moves students toward the completion of college courses in 11th and 12th grade. These college courses are part of the regular curriculum, and challenge students to exceed their own expectations. All college courses earn Bard College credit at no cost to the student, with a school-wide goal that at least 95 percent of students will complete high school with a minimum of 30 college credit hours. PBA is uniquely positioned to act as a center of innovation, since it also serves as the campus of the Bard College Master of Arts in Teaching Rural Residency Program. Beginning in August 2011, PBA, through its affiliation with Bard College and the Longy School of Music, initiated an El Sistema music program in grades 6–8 to bring innovative music education to the lives of adolescents as an integral part of their public school education.

For more information:

• Paramount Bard Academy (Website)
  
• Changing the Face of Public Education at Paramount Bard Academy (Video)
• Teaching at Paramount Bard Academy (Video)
• PBA Teacher Joanna Kendrick-Miranda Speaks on the Rewards of Teaching (Video)

The Al-Quds Bard Partnership, which was formed in 2008, is the first dual-degree program in Palestine between an American and a Palestinian institution. The partnership is based at Al-Quds’s main campus in Abu Dis in the West Bank. The Al-Quds Bard Honors College for Liberal Arts and Sciences is a four-year liberal arts program leading to a dual B.A. degree. The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program, based on the model developed and implemented by Bard in the United States, is already the largest graduate program in the West Bank. The MAT program leads to a dual master’s degree, and involves a network of “MAT Innovation Schools” within the Palestinian public school system.
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The American University of Central Asia (AUCA), located in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, is a regional institution that serves students from throughout central Asia. Founded in 1998, it enrolls 1,100 students. Bard and AUCA have formed a partnership in order to offer dual degrees to the vast majority of AUCA graduates; enhance the liberal arts components of AUCA’s teaching and curriculum; develop joint research projects; and provide enhanced study away opportunities for students from North America.
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Bard College assumed ownership of ECLA European College of Liberal Arts in Berlin, Germany in the fall of 2011. One of Europe’s earliest liberal arts education programs, ECLA was founded in 1999 in the aftermath of German reunification and the democratic revolutions of Central and Eastern Europe. ECLA currently enrolls an international student body of 65 students and offers a multidisciplinary B.A. degree in the humanities. Under Bard, ECLA’s programs will be expanded: graduates will receive a dual degree accredited in Germany and the United States; a new study abroad program will be introduced in 2012 to take advantage of Berlin’s rich cultural resources; and several master of arts degree programs are planned for the future. For more information please contact Susan Gillespie at 845-758-7082 or gillespi@bard.edu.

Smolny College/The Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences, located in Saint Petersburg, Russia, is a dual-degree program between Bard College and St. Petersburg State University (SPbU), Russia’s oldest university. Founded in 1995, Smolny is Russia’s first liberal arts college and is the oldest dual-degree program between U.S. and Russian higher education institutions. In 2011, Smolny was transformed into St. Petersburg State’s 23rd faculty. The dean of Smolny is Aleksei Kudrin, Russia’s deputy premier and finance minister. Smolny also offers study away opportunities for students from North America. MORE >>