Session Description

Today’s world is marked by complexities, challenges and opportunities that require knowing how to learn, work and live together across our many differences. To do this requires that our youth understand how to embrace diversity in all its forms as a crucial 21st century skill set.  AFS-USA offers educators a new tool to help them in their work with student to achieve this through the AFS Global Competence Readiness Index for Schools. 

 This session will offer tools, ideas and resources to educators around Global Competency.

Who should use the AFS Global Competence Readiness Index for Schools?

Whether you are a teacher or a school administrator, use the Index to explore how ready your school is to help your students develop their global competence.

The results will map out some of your school’s strengths and weaknesses and provide recommendations so you can foster stronger institutional practices that build global competence. 

Global Competence Readiness - why is it important for Schools? Intercultural education opportunities that lead to global competence help students:

• Broaden perspectives about themselves and the world around them.
• Learn and respect differences and believe a diverse world is a stronger and more interesting place.
• Communicate and collaborate across cultures in a sensitive and mindful way.
• Appreciate other cultures and encourage others to be open to new ideas, attitudes, and traditions.
• Build critical thinking and problem-solving skills required in all professions—from education to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).

Increasingly governments, education experts and employers acknowledge that implementing global competence education—starting in the classroom as early as possible—is one of the best ways to do this. This is especially relevant in light of the newly released 2018 PISA Global Competence Framework (OECD) and Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (COE).

Having delivered research-based, state-of-the-art intercultural learning programs that build global competence for over 70 years, today AFS extends this expertise to support schools and educators as they help students learn how to collaborate across cultures and differences.

While completing the self-assessment questionnaire, you will reflect on how your school addresses key elements recognized to nurture global competence in the classroom and beyond.  It all takes 15 minutes. Once you complete the assessment, you will receive the profile of your school, including specific recommendations to improve how your school can empower 21st century learners to become more globally competent. Educations will be able to tap valuable resources, best practices and tools to adapt and use to develop global competence programs for your school and in classrooms.

AFS Intercultural Programs is an international, voluntary, non-governmental, non-profit education organization that provides intercultural learning opportunities to help people develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to create a more just and peaceful world. Each year around 12,000 young people take part in the AFS Programs that are supported by over 50,000 volunteers and staff in 60+ countries worldwide.

Contact:  Tara Hofmann, Chief Operating and Organizational Development Officer, AFS-USA.  [email protected]

What will educators learn and be able to do at the end of the session?

 This session will offer tools, ideas and resources to educators around Global Competency.

Session Resources

Introducing the AFS Global Competence Readiness Index
We will use this website during our session at 3:00 on Monday

Introducing the AFS Global Competence Readiness Index
These are two workshops that we will use during the session on Monday at 3:00

AFS Session PowerPoint