Global Impact Diploma (GID) empowers high school students with agency, prioritizes wellbeing, and equips them to drive meaningful, real-world change through innovative, competency-based learning.
Core Pillars
Rooted in three pillars—agency, meaningful learning, and wellbeing—the GID fosters ethical leaders via challenge-based projects, collaborative studios, internships, and personalized pathways in leadership, collaboration, and specialization. Students build competencies like Drive, Empathetic Impact, and Collaborative Impact, culminating in an impact portfolio and exhibition.
- Drive
I can take ownership of my learning and well-being, persevering through uncertainty to create meaningful contributions.
- Impact Design
I can define and design tasks that are purposeful and manage a project to create measurable impact.
- Collaborative Impact
I can generate ideas, products and solutions with people from diverse backgrounds, building inclusive, supportive communities that foster shared purpose, shared impact, and psychological safety.
- Empathetic Impact
I can understand and value others’ perspectives, recognize their needs, and act with genuine care to make a meaningful impact.
- Reflection
I can maintain a learning mindset, engaging in authentic reflection to understand patterns in my thinking; identify strengths and areas for growth; and improve my learning, well-being, and impact on others.
- Communication
I can communicate with clarity, empathy, and impact, ensuring that I both understand and am understood, even when perspectives differ.
CDA Implementation
Colegio Decroly Americano is excited to join as a Stage 1 GID Member School, launching three foundational courses in the 2026-27 school year, with the full program available in 2027-28. This aligns with our commitment to international accreditation and student-centered innovation.
Here’s what this means for each student:
- Academic Foundation: Students complete rigorous coursework across humanities, sciences, mathematics, languages, physical education, and the arts.
- Leadership & Impact: Foundational leadership courses and collaborative impact experiences prepare students to work effectively with diverse teams and communities.
- Personalized Pathways: Specialization courses allow students to develop expertise based on their unique interests and aptitudes.
- Real-World Connection: Students design and implement impact experiences—for example, internships, apprenticeships, community partnerships—that connect classroom learning to meaningful work beyond campus.
Links to specific documents:
Frequently asked questions
CDA is committed to offering students a space where learners are empathetic, collaborative leaders, global citizens, creative, and critical thinkers. The Global Impact Diploma enriches our Shared Understanding of High Quality Learning through the program requirements and materials.
The purpose of the Global Impact Diploma is “to prepare students to make a significant positive impact on the world by empowering students to transform themselves, inspire each other, and make meaningful contributions to their local and global communities.” The result of an international collaborative effort, the Global Impact Diploma is designed to:
- Allow students to create their own learning experiences based on personal interest or passion
- Empower students to make an impact on the world through meaningful learning
- Help students develop strategies for learning and well-being to help them navigate an ever changing world.
Nowadays, universities are accustomed to seeing a variety of learning pathways and have accepted different kinds of diplomas for decades. Moreover, professors at leading institutions note that these days, college and university students mostly need more experience managing unfamiliarity and discomfort. As a result, Global Impact students will be able to write and tell their own story confidently, from personal essays to interviews.
The Global Impact Diploma uses a competency-based assessment model. This helps shift the focus from traditional content knowledge to demonstrating real-world mindsets and skills essential for navigating this complex world. Within Global Impact coursework, assessments measure skills over seat time, sustained growth over one-time performance, and agency over compliance.
CDA will be offering three courses for the 2026-2027 school year. Students who are willing to be part of this pathway should also be enrolled in the AP courses available at CDA: Spanish Literature, Economics, and Calculus AB.
- 10th grade – Leadership for Impact.
- 11th grade – The Imperfect Art of Living.
- 12th grade – Entrepreneurship for Impact
CDA will charge a nominal fee to cover the cost of materials.
