working with students in the fall of the junior year. Also, the Office of Collegiate Affairs oversees visits from college admission counselors and military personnel, letters of recommendation from faculty, and the dual enrollment program with four partners: Penn State Beaver, Robert Morris University, The Art Institute, and Community College of Allegheny County. Global Scholars Initiative The Global Scholars Initiative stems from a collaborative partnership with the University of Pittsburgh University Center for International Studies (UCIS). The goal of the initiative is to provide students with an educational program that is relevant in the modern world. Coursework places special emphasis on the skills needed for future success such as information and media literacy, multi-faceted communications, collaborative problem solving, technology integration, and the ability to apply creativity, innovation, and higher-level thinking across multiple disciplines. Guidance Services The QVHS Guidance department has been recognized as a model program (RAMP) by the American School Counseling Association (ASCA). The department is made up of two school counselors who pride themselves in focusing on the individual needs of every student and family. Counselors work with students individually and in small and large groups for academic planning, goal setting, personal/social development, and career exploration. Music and Performing Arts The Quaker Valley Music Department claims to be a recipient of the "Top 100 Communities for Music Education" award. The music program offers the following performance ensembles: Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensemble, String Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, and male and female Barbershop Quartets. Classes include Keyboard, Music Theory I, Music Theory II, AP Music Theory, Instrumental Lessons, and History of Popular Music. Quaker Valley High School's performing ensembles consistently receive Excellent and Superior ratings at Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Adjudication festivals and win awards for competitions in Florida, Ohio, Virginia, and Toronto. Also, these groups regularly offer their talents to a variety of civic events. On average, 40% of the high school student body participates in one or more of the performing ensembles. Each spring the high school Music and Drama Departments produce a full-scale Broadway musical. Over 50 students participate on stage or behind the scenes building sets, assembling costumes, or hanging lights. The high school has staged a wide range of shows, the most recent being The Sound of Plaid, 9 to 5, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Pirates of Penzance. Quaker Valley musicals have won numerous Gene Kelly Awards along the way