About

Who We Are

WA Global Network is the office of international student programs and initiatives for Wheaton Academy.

Wheaton Academy, founded in 1853 and located in West Chicago, Illinois, is one of the oldest and most respected private Christian high schools in America.

WA Global Network is a non-profit organization.

Our Mission

WA Global Network exists to equip schools in America to care for international students, prepare international students for success, and recruit and place students in top American schools.

Our Passion

WA Global Network serves and cares for international students and parents with fairness, honesty, and integrity.

Our desire is for students to make strong moral choices through their school communities and host families, train up individuals to be leaders back in their home countries, and equip, connect, and inspire other schools to implement best practices in international student care.

History

Wheaton Academy has been a boarding school for much of its 165 year history.  In 2007, Wheaton Academy began a homestay boarding program to invite international students to become part of the school community. Since 2007, these students have had a profound impact on school culture and student learning.

By 2011, Wheaton Academy had met its targeted enrollment of international boarding students and realized there were more than 100 inquiries and applications received for a limited amount of openings.  Rather than turn away these students, WA Global Network (formerly WAnet) was formed to provide a pathway for students to find other high quality American schools like Wheaton Academy and to support these schools in their care and education of international learners.

WA Global Network provides increased understanding of the key homestay program and international student education philosophies and leverages our institutional learning and student stories through the trust of partner schools, parents, and alumni.

WA Global Network exists to:

• Equip Schools: Share best practices and create learning environments for other schools looking to grow in their ability to welcome international learners on campus.
• Place Students: Connect students to other quality schools when application interest exceeds the enrollment capacity on Wheaton Academy’s campus or when students are better fit for a partner school.
• Prepare Students: Strategically allow students to learn and improve in the life skills and college readiness traits needed for their education in America.

WA Global Network’s mission, vision, and methods are committed to serving and caring for international students and parents with fairness, honesty, and integrity.

Over the past 9 years, WA Global Network has placed over 400 students in American schools, had over 1,100 students graduate from the Summer English Institute (SEI), and trained and equipped over 100 schools to run quality homestay boarding programs through the International Student Program Conference.

Over the Past 9 Years