are offered. Interdisciplinary courses in the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools encourage students to draw connections across disciplines. Constructing America, a required course for juniors, is co-taught by the History and English faculty. Integrated Liberal Studies, a required course for seniors, explores four essential topics: Virtue, the Self, Social Justice, and the Environment. Independent study opportunities allow students to gain in-depth knowledge in subjects of their choosing. The Global Studies program organizes trips around the world. An outdoor educator organizes hiking, camping and rock-climbing trips in the Hudson Valley, trekking in Patagonia, and kayaking in Alaska. Riverdale is chartered by the New York State Board of Regents and is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools. Athletics As of 2017, Riverdale has a total of 31 varsity interscholastic sports teams, many of which also have junior varsity counterparts except for Cross Country, Crew, Golf, Track and Field, Squash and Swimming. In the Spring of 2013, crew was introduced as a varsity sport for boys and girls, while wrestling was officially cut from the list of sports. Fall Sports Cross Country Fencing Club Football Soccer Field Hockey Girls' Tennis Volleyball Winter Sports Basketball Fencing Squash Swimming Spring Sports Baseball Softball Crew Golf Lacrosse Boys' Tennis Track and Field Ultimate Frisbee Awards In 2014, Riverdale was awarded the National Athletic Trainers' Association Safe School Award and was declared a National Youth Sports Health & Safety Institute "Best Practices Partner." In 2016, Riverdale was awarded the New York Athletic Training Association's Joseph Abraham Award, which is an award given annually to high schools that provide outstanding athletic injury care to their student athletes. Further titles have been given to individual school teams: Boys Soccer: Ivy League Champions — 1952, 1954-1957, 1959, 1961-1963, 1965-1966, 1970-1971, 1975-1976, 1998-1999, 2005-2006, 2015–2016 NYSAIS Champions — 1999, 2006, 2014-2015 Girls Soccer: NYSAIS Champions — 1996, 2003, 2007, 2010-2011 Ivy League Champions — 1997, 2003, 2007-2008, 2010-2012, 2014 Boys Swimming: Ivy League Champions — 1962-1963, 1976-1977, 2002–2003, 2007 Girls Swimming: Ivy League Champions — 2002-2006 Boys Basketball: Ivy League Champions — 1966-1969, 1972, 1977, 1983, 1986, 2013 NYSAIS Federation Champions — 1994, 2013 Girls Basketball: NYSAIS Federation Champions — 1995-1996, 1998, 2000 Ivy League Champions — 1996-1997, 2000 Baseball: Ivy League Champions — 1968-1970, 2003 NYSAIS Champions — 2000 Volleyball: Ivy League Champions — 1980-1983, 1995, 2002 Field Hockey: Ivy League Champions — 1981, 1994, 2007,