Global Leadership Academy Charter School-West
Global Leadership Academy Charter School-West Holds Rites of Passage in African Traditions
Ken Kilpatrick
Global Leadership Academy Charter School-West (GLA-W)
On Thursday, June 18, 2026, GLA-W will hold a Rites of Passage for its outgoing 8th-grade class as they transition to high school. GLA will commemorate its scholars’ successes with a special ceremony rooted in African traditions and customs, featuring the Rites of Passage Ceremony, a symbolic event.
Scholars worked for their “right to pass” to the next level of learning and growing. The Rites of Passage Ceremony will commence with the Libation Ceremony, an opportunity to honor individuals who have had a profoundly positive impact on scholars’ lives.
3:00 PM
4701 Lancaster Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19131
GLA Charter Schools is recognized for its motto, “Preparing the Future Leaders of the World,” and for sending its K-8 scholars abroad on educational excursions.
Expeditions begin in kindergarten at local historic sites such as the Liberty Bell and Mother Bethel AME Church, where Richard Allen is buried, and expand further in distance each year to destinations that include:
- Harrisburg Capitol
- Amish Country, PA
- United Nations
- 6th grade: Several Southern states to learn firsthand about the nation’s battle for Civil Rights.
- 7th grade: They follow the Underground Railroad into Canada.
- 8th grade: They embark upon their capstone international excursion.