This course gives students the foundational tools used throughout the Global Leadership Institute. Students are exposed to ideas from a variety of leadership thinkers, such as Stephen Covey, Jim Collins, and Simon Sinek. Students will learn about the model of ethical servant-leadership. Additionally, students will become aware of their own individual strengths and weaknesses. Exposure to each of the Global Leadership pathways (business and law) will allow students to explore which areas they are most interested in. Outstanding guest speakers provide real-world leadership examples.  

This course will inform students how individual choices directly influence occupational goals and future earnings potential.  Real world topics covered will include income, money management, spending and credit, as well as saving and investing.  Students will design personal and household budgets utilizing checking and saving accounts, gain knowledge in finance, debt and credit management, and evaluate and understand insurance and taxes.  This course will provide a foundational understanding for making informed personal financial decisions leading to financial independence. 

AP Human Geography introduces students to college-level introductory human geography or cultural geography. The content is presented thematically rather than regionally and is organized around the discipline’s main subfields: economic geography, cultural geography, political geography, and urban geography. The approach is spatial and problem oriented. Case studies are drawn from all world regions, with an emphasis on understanding the world in which we live today. Historical information serves to enrich analysis of the impacts of phenomena such as globalization, colonialism, and human–environment relationships on places, regions, cultural landscapes, and patterns of interaction.

This course explores the discipline of entrepreneurship with the goal of students launching their own group startups. Students will learn business model development, design thinking, customer discovery, product-market validation, in-depth industry and market analysis, product or service innovation, brand development and go-to-market strategies, financing, and legal considerations; while also acquiring soft skills in communication, leadership and character development. 

This course serves as an introductory course to the three major components of strategy: competitive strategy, corporate strategy, and global strategy. This course involves several different types of class sessions.  Specifically, students discuss cases and (occasionally HBR-style articles), engage with guest speakers from industry, and bring in current topics in strategy from the business press. Unique to this class, students are taught using the case study method and Socratic teaching techniques.

Students focus on two of Gardner’s multiple intelligences: intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence. A significant portion of the course involves understanding the “Big Five” personality traits. Students develop intrapersonal intelligence by thoughtfully reflecting on their own personal virtues and faults. Interpersonal skills are developed through teambuilding exercises that explore group dynamics. Additionally, students develop public speaking skills, specifically with three types of speeches: introductory, informative, and persuasive. The final assessment will be a TED-style speech. 

This course allows students to examine the concept of leadership through the lens of Christianity. Students learn about biblical leadership through the servant-leadership paradigm. A hallmark of the course is guest speakers. Throughout the semester, students “live” alongside a Christian leader of their own choice, becoming an expert on their leader’s biography—not just their history, but their influences, beliefs, successes, and failures.

AP Comparative Government and Politics introduces students to the rich diversity of political life outside the United States. The course uses a comparative approach to examine the political structures; policies; and political, economic, and social challenges of six selected countries: China, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Students compare the effectiveness of approaches to many global issues by examining how different governments solve similar problems. They will also engage in disciplinary practices that require them to read and interpret data, make comparisons and applications, and develop evidence-based arguments.

AP Microeconomics is an introductory college-level course that focuses on the principles of economics that apply to the functions of individual economic decision-makers. The course also develops students’ familiarity with the operation of product and factor markets, distributions of income, market failure, and the role of government in promoting greater efficiency and equity in the economy.  

AP Macroeconomics is an introductory college-level course that focuses on the principles that apply to an economic system as a whole. The course places particular emphasis on the study of national income and price-level determination; it also develops students’ familiarity with economic performance measures, the financial sector, stabilization policies, economic growth, and international economics. Students learn to use graphs, charts, and data to analyze, describe, and explain economic concepts. A high performance on the AP Exam may earn students college credit.

The capstone course is a student-directed self-study project where students work with teachers and mentors in relevant fields on a learning experience, aimed at a SMART (specific and strategic, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and time-bound) goal. Students are challenged to design and create their own learning experience by pursuing an area of interest. Teachers provide student-centered guidance and support. At the conclusion of the experience, students will present their results in our signature OCS Global Leadership Summit.

This course allows students to investigate both personal and professional ethics. A special emphasis is placed on the role of the non-profit sector, in which students will serve as consultants to local non-profit organizations. This course blends both learning and service opportunities. Students will manage a portion of a real endowment portfolio, utilizing investments as a tool to charitably serve others.