The ladies of Western High School are about to welcome British royalty, all thanks to their principal’s boss.

Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, will visit the country’s oldest all-girls public high school on Sept. 30. He will celebrate seven high schools joining a Baltimore cohort of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, a youth achievement program that encourages teens and young adults to ”set ambitious goals, challenge themselves, and make a lasting impact,” according to the website for the program’s U.S. arm. Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Jermaine Dawson previously brought the program to Philadelphia’s school district, according to spokesperson Sherry Christian.

Western Principal Brittany Horne said the school is “incredibly honored” to be a part of the cohort and to welcome His Royal Highness.

“We are preparing a student-centered experience that will allow him to engage directly with our young women and learn more about our school community,” Horne said in an email.

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Prince Edward, 62, is the youngest brother of the United Kingdom’s King Charles III. Their father, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, Prince Philip, started the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award in 1956. Half a million young people participate in the U.K. program, and it’s expanded to 130 countries, according to an online biography.

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Dawson said these Baltimore high schools will join the program:

  • Academy for College and Career Exploration
  • Baltimore City College
  • Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
  • Carver Vocational-Technical High School
  • Forest Park High School
  • Frederick Douglass High School
  • Western High School

When Prince Edward found out Dawson was moving to Baltimore, he asked if he’d bring the program along, Christian said.

Prince Edward, left, with Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Jermaine Dawson, who previously brought the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award to Philadelphia, his former home. Seven high schools will join an inaugural Baltimore cohort for the program.
Prince Edward, left, with Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Jermaine Dawson, who previously brought the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award to Philadelphia schools. (Baltimore City Public Schools)

Dawson went to Senegal on a foreign exchange program as a high school junior and wants to offer Baltimore students similar learning experiences. Participating students will get an international credential they can use for college admissions and job applications, Dawson said. And there are programs that partner with schools undertaking the award to bring students on international journeys.

The program ”provides a structured platform that supports student wholeness through social-emotional learning, physical and mental well-being, and civic engagement,” Dawson said in a statement. “It also supports our goal of graduating students who are world ready.”

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It’s not the first time Prince Edward has brought his mission to Baltimore. Then the Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward invited at-risk Baltimore youth to join the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award-Young American’s Challenge in 2011, according to previous reporting by The Baltimore Sun. He visited students at the Crossroads School in Fells Point alongside then-Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

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This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.