The James Center
Experiential learning with a public purpose, designed to help students explore, engage, and contribute.
Through programs and partnerships that give students rich opportunities to build knowledge and skills, expand and practice using their strengths, and broaden their view of what the future holds for them, the James Center helps student link classroom learning to their role as global citizens. Center programs complement the academic curriculum in expanding students’ awareness of their choices in study and life, and in crafting impactful and satisfying lives.
James Center offerings flex according to needs, interests, and opportunities. At their core, they provide distinctive, substantive opportunities for students that expand their agency. Over the past 20 years, program offerings have expanded to include:
- The GFS Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program partnership with Johns Hopkins University, established in 2005 with over 360 student enrolled as of fall 2025.
- The Jenkins Service Fellowship program that engages students in service learning exploration and has funded over 130 students in service work in over 30 countries over the past 20 years.
- .A consistent 25 students+ each year participate in the Architecture, Construction, and Engineering Mentor Program, a national organization with a Baltimore chapter dedicated to educating students about these fields through a mentor-team-led 13 week design process.
- Another 25+ students each year participate in the Public Health Fellows Program, a partnership with the School of Medicine at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Public Health graduate students meet with students to offer instruction on a wide range of public health topics, study and career options, and experiences at UMSOM.
- The Mock Trial and Law Program gives students an intensive introduction to trial law with the help of attorney coaches. The GFS team competes over the five-month Mock Trial experience, diving into deeper exploration of how law study can intersect with careers in everything from government and public policy to sports and urban planning, with the help of GFS alumnae and community members.
James Center Center programs complement the academic curriculum in expanding students’ awareness of their choices in study and life, and in crafting impactful and satisfying lives. Right now, and always.
Gateway Scholars Program
The Gateway Scholars Program provides unique opportunities for Upper School students with a special interest in Global Citizenship, STEM or Visual Art and Design to craft a distinct curricular and co-curricular path—or, students can create their own program through the Independent Inquiry track. Supported by a network of on- and off-campus mentors, each Gateway Scholar creates an immersive learning program designed to challenge them as learners, enrich their experience, deepen their understanding, and document their process of discovery.