Getting Smart Celebrates International Education Week

Today marks the beginning of International Education Week (IEW). All week long we will be sharing blogs and featuring voices of educators leading the international education charge. To kick off this annual event, we wanted to share where to go to read about IEW, to get involved and to get connected.

What is IEW all about?

“International Education Week, November 13-17, is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education is part of our efforts to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences.

We encourage the participation of all individuals and institutions interested in international education and exchange activities, including schools, colleges and universities, embassies, international organizations, businesses, associations, and community organizations.” (See here.)

What events are going on during IEW?

NAFSA, the premier Association of International Educators and the world’s largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange, hosts webinars and live events during IEW (and also throughout the year). Find out more about their IEW events here.

The Global Education Conference (better known as Global Ed Con), now in its 7th year, is an incredible event hosted by Lucy Gray and Steve Hargadon. Lucy shares, “Engaged, civic-minded global citizens are essential to the future of our planet. Schools and informal learning institutions must prioritize the development of global competence in students and teachers and our global community can help them. The Global Education Conference provides an opportunity for educators and organizations to connect and partner to further this Global Education movement. We are excited about this year’s conference and hope to see many educators and organizations online during International Education Week!”

I’ve been a presenter and participant and find that each year I learn something new, connect with new and old colleagues and gain a fresh perspective about what is going on in classrooms around the world.

Interested in joining their ever-growing network? Visit http://globaleducationconference.com and connect with them on Twitter (@GlobalEdCon) and using the hashtag #globaled17.

#GlobalEdChat, a weekly twitter chat hosted Thursdays at 5 pm PST/8 pm EST by Heather Singmaster (@hsingmaster) from the Asia Society Center for Global Education, is a great place to connect with other educators and organizations who care about educating internationally-minded students.

Can’t pick just one event? The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has a searchable calendar of all of the events going on during IEW.

What are international education resources I could use in my classroom?

Global Oneness Project has a wealth of lessons and videos that relate to international education topics and issues. Check out their site for ready to use resources, including how to teach students the value of democracy.

Empatico is an online platform that is a great way to connect students from around the world. Want students to share projects they have been working on during IEW? Use Empatico!

Participate has online courses, resources and tons of information about how to teach the UN Sustainable Development Goals, all of which are very aligned to the good and purpose of IEW.

Global Dignity is an organization focused on encouraging students to appreciate and better understand the values and beliefs of others and to respect their own dignity. Check out their site for resources and lesson ideas for IEW.

Are you planning on participating in IEW, or do you have other resources? Share in the comments below.

For more, see:

• Educating for Global Competence: 6 Reasons, 7 Competencies, 8 Strategies, 9 Innovations
• Review: Global Education Guidebook
• Designing Student Projects for Global Readiness
• 3 Reasons to Expect the Unexpected… and What To Do About It

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