Defining Global Education

What is Global Education, and Why is it Relevant to My Classroom?

Teachers fear having to incorporate “one more thing" into their daily lessons that too often don't have value or longterm staying power, but teaching students to be globally minded and to be competent citizens is the bedrock of education in a democracy. Likely, as an educator you're already embedding the following values into your curriculum and instruction. The tools and resources below and in the accompanying subpages accessible above under the “Global Education" section are here to augment that instruction and to further your own understanding along the way. Be sure to click on the highlighted or underlined links to be directed to those websites.

What is Global Education

Global Education is education for human rights, sustainability, peace and conflict prevention, interculturality, and citizenship.
- Maastricht Global Education Declaration, 2002. 

Global Competence is the capacity to examine local, global, and intercultural issues; to understand and appreciate the perspectives and world views of others; to engage in open, appropriate, and effective interactions with people from different cultures; and to act for collective well-being and sustainable development. OECD/Asia Society

Why is Teaching Global Competence Relevant to My Classroom?

Because students are already engaging in a global market using global technologies. They are communicating with a global audience using numerous social platforms. Students are already global citizens, whether they're aware of it or not. Therefore, educators need to provide opportunities for students to interact on a global scale with understanding and empathy, to show them how to recognize and appreciate our common traits and values across distances and cultures, and to empower students to work collectively to address the pressing concerns of our time. 

Both The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Asia Society's Center for Global Education have identified four key aspects of global competence. Globally competent youth:

(1) investigate the world beyond their immediate environment by examining issues of local, global, and cultural significance;

(2) recognize, understand, and appreciate the perspectives and world views of others;

(3) communicate ideas effectively with diverse audiences by engaging in open, appropriate, and effective interactions across cultures; and

(4) take action for collective well-being and sustainable development both locally and globally.

Asia Society's  Teaching for Global Competence in a Rapidly Changing World