We are a private institution and our programs can be expensive. We strive to offer our programs to every student and every teacher, no matter their financial situation. We depend on donations to offset the cost of our programs and make them available to all, equitably. We are asking for $25,000 for this school year to continue offering our programs and offsetting the cost for those who are in need.
“For students to participate effectively in the global community, they will need to develop global competence: the attitudes, knowledge, and skills needed to live and work in today’s interconnected world and to build a sustainable, peaceful, inclusive world for the future” (Tichnor-Wagner, 2021).
Students in American schools need to be prepared to graduate high school with a 21st-century education. This education includes the ability to think critically about global issues, interact with diverse populations of people, and apply the skills in real-world situations. Teachers are the main drivers of 21st-century skills and education; however, many of them lack the culturally responsive skills and global experiences themselves.
Culturally responsive teaching is more important than ever. The teaching workforce remains overwhelmingly white, female, middle class, and monolingual. Teachers of color make up only 18% of teachers in the workforce compared to 54% of the student population being racially, ethnically, linguistically, and culturally diverse.
Many school districts experience considerable disparities in socioeconomic status and have cultures of institutionalized racism and/or strong implicit bias. As communities become more diverse, the makeup of the educator workforce does not shift commensurately. Little is done to address the increasing disparities and issues of equity amongst the student population, and student performance suffers.
Connecting American teachers with colleagues across continents for professional learning experiences and collaboration is a way to help American teachers gain global and cultural competence (Tichnor-Wagner, 2021). Additionally, teachers can help advocate for more open-mindedness and acceptance of other cultures and peoples by bringing their experiences in the world back into the classroom, fostering open minds and compassionate hearts in their students.