The Global/Local Intersection: Reach the World facilitates one-on-one digital partnerships between K-12 classrooms and global travelers (Fulbrighters, Peace Corps volunteers, etc.) currently in the field.
How to use it in your classroom: I'm in the process of working with RTW to connect my Social Studies students with a Peace Corps volunteer teaching in Rwanda. It is an incredible way to humanize global studies. I highly recommend teachers use their structured 8-to-12-week virtual exchange cycles to build empathy and cross-cultural communication skills. It moves students from reading about a country in a textbook to talking with someone on the ground.
The Global/Local Intersection: CIRI provides critical legal, social, and educational services to immigrants and refugees who are escaping global conflict zones and starting new lives in Connecticut.
How to use it in your classroom: As a former refugee mentor with CIRI, I have seen firsthand the impact of their work. For teachers looking to localize global migration units, CIRI provides a wealth of local data and context. I recommend partnering with CIRI for student-led service-learning projects (such as organizing welcoming initiatives or supply drives). It allows students to take tangible, local action on massive global issues, while also exploring how new arrivals navigate their local communities.
The Global/Local Intersection: Housed at the University of Connecticut, the institue honors Senator Thomas Dodd’s work at the Nuremberg Trials. It serves as a direct bridge between international human rights law, genocide prevention, and K-12 education in Connecticut.
How to use it in your classroom: As a UConn alum, I cannot recommend their K-12 outreach programs enough. The Dodd Center runs a specific "Human Rights Education" initiative. Teachers can utilize their ready-made lesson plans on international human rights to ground abstract global policies in historical realities. Furthermore, bringing high school students to their annual campus summits allows them to hear directly from global activists and policymakers without ever leaving the state.