GLOBAL SCHOLARS
What is Global Scholars?
Global Scholars is a global virtual exchange program for students ages 10 to 13 who live in cities around the world. Its defining feature is using technology to forge connections that drive learning—for students in online discussion boards, and for educators in live professional development. To date, more than 105,000 students from 114 cities in 39 countries have participated.
The program
The Global Scholars program was designed to help students around the world develop global competency, or the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors students will need for life in an interconnected world. Students exchange ideas weekly in e-classroom discussion boards as they research and develop sophisticated solutions to a global problem and then take action where they live. These sustained, direct peer connections provide the cornerstone for the model’s key elements: a project-based curriculum focused on a global issues and linked to specific learning outcomes, authentic assignments grounded in firsthand observation, a digital environment for practicing communication skills, and live, ongoing professional development for our teachers.
Learning outcomes
There are nine student learning outcomes that are explicit, measurable, and developmentally appropriate. They include four global outcomes (appreciation for diversity, cultural understanding, global knowledge, and global engagement) as well as five general outcomes (digital literacy, language communication, self-efficacy, academic engagement, and critical thinking) that support all learning, such as digital literacy.
Curriculum
Each year, Global Scholars classrooms participate in an original, project-based curriculum focused on a single global challenge. Each year’s topic is interdisciplinary and has observable impacts on daily life around the world, such as clean water, environmental sustainability, or the world food supply.
Throughout five units of study, students complete project-based assignments to observe how this challenge plays out in their own cities, then exchange observations with international peers in e-classroom discussion boards. The discussion board posts and replies provide a unique primary source through which students gain a global perspective on worldwide impacts and solutions.
Each curriculum unit requires students to apply different digital tools to research, create, and present original work, providing frequent opportunities for hands-on practice. From video editing to 3D design, students are using technology for a purpose— to actively learn and share ideas with one another.