CERTIFICATE OF GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT

Educating for Global Competency

Application for certificate of Global Engagement

Courses that have the  ***   next to them may qualify as one of the credits towards the Certificate of Global Engagement.

Did You Know. . .

• 1 in 5 jobs in the U.S. is tied to international trade?

• Most future business growth will be in overseas markets?

• American companies lose an estimated $2 billion annually due to inadequate cross-cultural guidance for their employees in multicultural situations?

Our citizens need to be educated about the world in order to face the challenges and promise of the future. Currently, global competency certificate programs exist in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, Washington D.C., Wisconsin, Illinois and Georgia.

What is the Connecticut Certificate of Global Engagement (CTCGE)? A designation that districts may award students who demonstrate achievement toward global competency, as defined by an ability to:

• Investigate the world beyond their immediate environment

• Recognize their own and others’ perspectives

• Communicate ideas effectively with diverse audiences

• Translate their ideas into appropriate actions to address a contemporary global issue

How Does a Student Achieve the CTCGE?

• Globally focused coursework

• Globally focused extracurricular activities

• Globally focused service learning or action project

What is the Purpose of the CTCGE? The Connecticut Certificate of Global Engagement validates a student’s deliberate pursuit of global education and awareness. This designation will be listed on the student’s transcripts and aims to:

• Educate a globally competent citizenry by encouraging students to pursue the global aspects of their education

• Prepare a globally competent workforce for Connecticut

• Recognize the value of global learning and its essential place in a well-rounded contemporary education

Components of The Connecticut Certificate of Global Engagement 

(to be Completed in Grades 9 – 12)

1. Academic Courses - Successful Completion of the following (demonstration of mastery or average grade of B or better):

Embedded in the course work should be Connecticut’s Common Core State Standards (CCSS), 21st Century Skills, Student Learning Objectives (SLOs), and the criteria of globally competent students as developed by CCSSO.

• Students must complete 3 years of high school equivalent study in one or more world language(s) (or demonstration of mastery)

• Students must complete 4 credits of coursework (or demonstration of mastery) in Social Studies, English Language Arts and other coursework with a global focus that are already a part of the school’s course of study. For example:

  • International Economics, Business or Marketing

  • International or Foreign Affairs

  • World/non-U.S. History

  • World Geography

  • Comparative Cultures and/or religions

  • Science and/or Technology courses with global application/perspective Literature of another country, region or culture

  • Music, Drama, and Visual Arts with international perspective 

  • Other courses with an international focus

Eligible Courses are identified throughout the Program of Studies with the following denotation: 

2. Globally Focused Student Activities:

• Active participation in at least one or more co-curricular or extracurricular activities over at least 3 years of high school experience. These may include participating in:

  • Regular, direct engagement with individuals from other countries/cultures (e.g., pen pals, Skype) Language clubs and/or honor societies

  • Internationally focused clubs

  • Internationally themed programs/competitions for high school students 

  • Language immersion programs

  • Attendance at a series of lectures on international topics and/or speakers in the community or at a college/university

  • Activities comparable to those listed above in collaboration with other individuals or organizations with the student’s school and/or from other schools

  • International exchange program as exchange student and/or host Travel abroad program/educational tour

3. Global Service Learning or Action Plan:

• A global/cross cultural public service involving at least twenty (20) hours of work connected to a global community (different from his/her own) or to a contemporary global issue. The state allows for the culminating activity to be a Capstone (or similarly cumulative) action-based project on an understanding and deep learning of a contemporary issue. Examples may include:

• Raising awareness about a global issue

• Fundraising for an international nonprofit service agency/organization

• Working on an international project with the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, Rotary or other service club

• Tutoring a child who is an English language learner

• Volunteering with a cultural/linguistic group in the community

Frequently Asked Questions & Timeline 

Which classes count as being a course with a global focus? 

Courses that are acceptable for the CTCGE are noted in the Program of Studies. If you are engaged in a course that you believe has/had a global focus that is not listed, please make a case for it in your application and explain why/how that course met the needs of a “global focus.” 

Can Capstone count as one of my 7 globally focused credits? 

Capstone may count as one of your 7 credits if your Capstone experience broadened and deepened your understanding of the world. You'll need to specify how that was so in your application, and your Capstone teacher will need to be in agreement. 

Do I have to carry a certain GPA to be eligible? 

As long as you receive a grade of a B or higher in the 7 globally focused courses that you are listing, your final grades in other courses/overall GPA are not taken into account. 

Does the “B or higher” apply to AP and ECE courses as well as Academic and Honors courses?

A grade of a B or higher is necessary for all classes, regardless of level, that you wish to count toward your 7-credit count. 

With a deadline of April 1st to have completed all of the components, I won’t have final grades for the courses in which I am enrolled. Is that okay?

As long as your current/year-to-date grade in the course is a B or better, you will be eligible for the CTCGE. 

I am an underclassman. What if I don’t complete the requirements this year?

As an underclassman, you do not need to complete everything this year. Your goal is to complete this by April of your senior year. If you are interested in the Certificate, this is a great opportunity to meet with Ms. Nasser or your school counselor to discuss your path to achievement.  

I am a senior and will be applying to schools before I know if I have received the CTCGE. Can I list this in my resumé́?

Once you meet with Ms. Nasser and/or your school counselor and plan your approach to attain the CTCGE, you may list on your resumé́ that you are an “Anticipated Recipient of the Connecticut Certificate of Global Engagement in April of 20XX” An explanation of what the CTCGE is will be included in your school’s profile, informing universities of the certificate. 

How will colleges/universities/prospective employers know that I earned the CTCGE?

Your successful attainment of the CTCGE will be listed on your transcript. 

I have already done something in the past couple of years (during my high school experience) that might fulfill the global service learning/action project. Might that be eligible?

Absolutely! Specify on your application/in our initial meeting what you did, and we will determine (looking at the 4 components) if you met the requirement, might need to do a bit more, etc. 

I have taken 4 years of world language and the requirement for the CTCGE is only 3. Can the fourth year count towards my total 7 credits of globally focused coursework?

Yes! And if you’ve taken more than 4 credits of world language at the high school level, those can count as well. 

Potential CTCGE Timeline-Senior Year

Old Saybrook High School

October/November

Express interest to your school counselor and/or Ms. Diana Nasser (dnasser@oldsaybrookschools.org). Fill out as much of the application as appropriate at this point, including courses you have previously completed and in which you are currently enrolled, as well as globally focused extracurricular activities in which you plan to participate this year. If you have an idea at this point of what you will do for your global service learning or action project, please itemize that as well.

December

Set up an in-person meeting with your school counselor and/or Ms. Nasser to further develop your plan to successfully attain the CTCGE.

January

Complete your application for the CTCGE. Ms. Nasser will submit names of eligible applicants for the school year to the CSDE.

February/March

Check-in with your school counselor and/or Ms. Nasser to determine progress and formalize a plan towards global service learning or action project. Plans for completing a global service learning/action project must be finalized at this point to be eligible for the CTCGE this school year.

April

Deadline for names to the state. Ms. Nasser will submit final student applications to the state social studies department for the CTCGE.

April-May

Deadline for seniors to complete components for eligibility for this school year. 

Meeting with school counselor/Ms. Nasser to determine successful completion and reflective component. District will review information from all eligible candidates. 

May/June

Ceremony to recognize all recipients of the CTCGE for the 2025-2026 school year. Successful completion of the CTCGE will also be recognized at graduation.