It can be difficult to identify where your students are at in their global citizenship journey, and where you want to help them grow into. Here are some questions you ask yourself and your students as you identify areas of development toward becoming a more global citizen. If your students are at the Minimal Understanding level, you can help them move to Stage One. Or if they're already at Stage One, construct your course to support them to Stage Two. Use the following descriptors to guide your instruction.

Minimal Global Citizen Understanding: These students demonstrate very little awareness of global issues, diversity, or the role of culture and background in human behavior; they have no experience with or are uncomfortable interacting with a range of people, and don't appear to desire that interaction, and they are unaware of institutional academic expectations.

Stage One Global Citizen Understanding: These students demonstrate minimal awareness of global issues or diverse populations and show minimal awareness of or desire to learn about their own cultural biases and norms. They are uncomfortable with cultural differences or people with diverse viewpoints and are minimally aware of institutional academic expectations.

Stage Two Global Citizen Understanding: These students demonstrate awareness of how background affects behavior, yet are uncomfortable communicating in unfamiliar environments. They recognize new perspectives about their own culture’s rules and biases and are interested in learning more. They don’t only look for sameness and are comfortable with new perspectives and are moderately aware of institutional academic expectations.

Stage Three Global Citizen Understanding: These students demonstrate awareness of global issues and interconnectedness and can explain how their own backgrounds affect their interpretations (e.g., of conflicts, triumphs, expectations, or systems of logic). They seek out diverse populations and respond to biases appropriately, including shifting their own perspectives as needed, and they are aware of institutional academic expectations.

What goals do you have for the students or young people you work with?