Evanston Township High School has received a $25,000 award for its efforts to make students more aware of international issues, officials announced Tuesday.

ETHS was the only high school nationwide to win one of The Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes for Excellence in International Education.

This is the first year the foundation has given out the prizes, which were established in July and are given out to one elementary or middle school, one high school, one college or university, one state, and one media and technology organization.

ETHS put added emphasis on global issues in 1992, when it instituted a one-year international studies concentration as a requirement for graduation. A team of teachers developed courses on the history, literature and art of Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

In a press release issued Tuesday, Secretary of State Colin Powell praised the winners and noted the importance of education on international issues.

“The compelling changes in our economy, the dawning of the Information Age, and the horrible events of Sept. 11, 2001 and their aftermath have created an unprecedented need to focus on international knowledge and skills,” Powell said in the press release. “To solve most of the major problems facing our country today … will require every young person to learn more about other regions, cultures and languages.”