INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS AND FINANCE
Old Mill High School Develops Signature Program

What is a Signature Program? 

A Signature Program is a theme, chosen by a school and its surrounding community, to connect classroom instruction with real-world situations and workforce-relevant skills. A Signature brings together educators with local business and community leaders to make classroom instruction relevant, interesting and challenging for students with opportunities that connect to the 21st century workplace.

International Economics and Finance: OMH's Signature Program

Provides students with a framework of 21st century analytical, financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy skills as it prepares students to pay rigorous attention to developing life and career skills necessary to navigate the complex life and work environments in the globally linked economics and finance era. Old MIll High School Students will gain an appreciation for how the local community interacts with the international economy and how finance is woven into the fabric of our local and international communities and they will learn self management skills and how to make appropriate personal economic choices, all of which will gear students to a successful future as well as a more competitive U.S. Workforce

IEF is the Signature that will provide students with knowledge and strategies to achieve the highest level of personal, academic, life and career skills and associated daily life activities within the developing economy. This program will allow students to expand the application of their educational opportunities and options for post secondary education and the local and global workforce. Because of its international scope, the IEAF Signature will generate a network of support to offer greater communication and collaboration between the business sector and educators to ensure that all students who enter and graduate from Old Mill High School are equipped with a spectrum of skills and abilities that encompass financial and economic literacy.

Old Mill High School is located in a community with small businesses, but very close to the fastest growing areas in Anne Arundel County. Projected growth in the region with Fort Mead Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process will stimulate a growth in population and civilian based job growth in the fields of economic and finance and will provide the school system with both a tremendous opportunity and obligation to anticipate the professional demands of the region and prepare students to fulfill those changing needs. IEAF is an initiative that will allow us to cultivate the 21st century global and international competancies as we position our students to take advantage of the growth as it relates to increased employment opportunities.

The Old Mill community is ethically and economically diverse. The school serves a population of approximately 2,300 students and is recognized as an International Baccalaureate Magnet and Middle Years Programme School. Additionally, it has an Advanced Placement Program that has been expanded to include a more diverse selection of courses. Many of the tenets for the IEAF Signature already exist in the Old Mill High School curriculum.

A Strong ICST = A Strong Signature

The foundation of a Signature is the Integrated Community Stakeholder Team (ICST). The ICST brings together professionals from sectors of Media/Communications, Government, Business, Education, Community Organizations, and Healthcare. These professionals bring their personal expertise forward to tailor the Signature Program in a manner that best suits the school's chosen theme. The school's Principal and its Signature Program Facilitator are also members of the ICST and will work hand-in-hand with the team to design and implement the Signature curricula.

How Can You Make Our Signature A Success?

* Share your expertise and experience about Economics and Finance with students and staff.

* Help prepare students with strong workforce skills.

* Join our ICST and contribute to our Signature's design and implementation.

* Provide a list of professional referrals who have the expertise to strengthen our Signature.