After many months of careful planning and program analysis, Bolles Associate Head of School Mike Drew announced Natalia Aycart as Bolles’ Director for Global Learning and Engagement (GLE). The creation of this position has long been part of the School’s strategic initiatives and Bolles leaders look forward to seeing this program continue to grow. In this new academic role at Bolles, Aycart will teach some classes and implement, supervise and direct GLE programs and operations in grades Pre-K through 12. The addition of this position promises to strengthen the educational experience for all Bolles students.

Drew shared a few broad strokes about GLE and how it will fit into existing programs, classes and events on all four campuses.

“At the core, Global Learning is about promoting within our students the skills and knowledge they need to be prepared for our increasingly interconnected world.  This is especially relevant for Bolles – an independent day and boarding school educating students from all over the world,” Drew said. “ GLE will be the hub for local, national and international community engagement efforts, provide oversight for our travel programs and contribute to such mainstay events as World Cultures and Countries Day, International Education Week, among others.”

Aycart’s many professional highlights made her a standout for the role as GLE’s founding director. Fluent in English and Spanish, Aycart worked as the Global Learning and Multicultural Affairs Coordinator and Foreign Language Educator at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Day School in Kansas City, Missouri. Prior to that, she worked for the Foreign Language Academy as a Foreign Visiting Teacher, a program endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education and sponsored by the Ministry of Education of Spain.  In this role, she supported students to become global citizens by developing skills in problem-solving, analysis and creative-thinking.  Aycart also monitored student performance through the use of data while implementing curriculum in a second language. She has lived in Madrid, Spain; Orebro, Sweden; Bradford, England; and Rome, Italy in addition to the U.S.

“I am honored to be part of this successful and experienced team and I look forward to approaching this work in the spirt of artist and writer Mary Anne Radmacher, ‘I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world,’” Aycart shared. “I look forward to opening student perspective and experience to all the world has to offer.”

Aycart has a bachelor’s degree in Education with a concentration in Foreign Language Education from Cardenal Cisneros University in Spain and a master’s and an additional bachelor’s degree in Organizational Psychology from Complutense of Madrid University in Spain. During this time, she was awarded by the European Community Action Scheme for the mobility of university students allowing her to complete her master’s program at Orebro University. Aycart has received numerous awards and recognitions including being one of 18 experts being selected to work with the United Nations to collaborate with the Mexican Association of Psychology and Community Development, to create and evolve educational planning and policies, curriculum development, and teacher training in 2020.  Natalia has also been asked to be the guest speaker at Bradford University on the topic of Foreign Language Education and at the National Institute of Educational Technologies and Teacher Training on Diversity, Equality and Inclusion in the international educational context.

Aycart will be moving to Jacksonville in July and will begin her new role in August.