Celebrate Earth Day Year Round – Educate and Act

The tremendous stress and quick rate of destruction that we inflict on the Earth make global Earth Day celebrations extremely important. Earth Day provides an opportunity to educate people on issues facing the environment and encourage them to take action. It is an opportunity to build new environmental activists and foster a global movement to protect the Earth. As seen in many of the Earth Day celebrations around the world, people are using this day to protest corporate destruction of natural resources or to recruit new volunteers to clean up parks and waterways. There are countless ways to get involved and make an impact.

This year, the theme of Earth Day is “the face of climate change.”  Earth Day organizers encourage people around the world to share their photos, showing the different faces working to improve the environment. By linking the people to the cause, greater connectedness is felt and there is a sense of collaboration. As explained by Bryan Buchanan, spokesman for the Earth Day Network, “[climate change] has real consequences for real people, as well as places that we love and animals. We want to bring this massive problem down to size. It makes everyone who’s doing their part (no matter how small) feel connected to the bigger environmental movement.”

eKWIP Challenge does this year round.  The program raises awareness and encourages students to take action to solve contemporary environmental issues like the global water crisis, which contributes to climate change. Through sharing photos, videos, and more, students put a face to others like them who are taking action to learn about the environment and find solutions to end the destruction against it. The Challenge builds collaboration and makes the problem real, with real people sharing their personal experiences with their own environment.

To get involved this Earth Day, go to the new eKWIP Challenge website and sign up for one of our courses on the global water crisis. Educate yourself and other students about environmental issues and connect with likeminded people around the world that are working for a better future for the environment and for the world.

References:

Anderson, Nick. “Earth Day 2013 focuses on climate change” Washington Post. April 21, 2013 http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/earth-day-2013-focuses-on-climate-change/2013/04/21/4b792cfe-aa9f-11e2-b6fd-ba6f5f26d70e_story.html

Social Media Opens Doors

I recently participated in an online forum called Women and Social Media: Path to Freedom of Expression and Transforming Culture. The discussion was hosted on Google Hangout, live streamed on Youtube, and took participant questions from Twitter and Youtube posts. The forum included speakers from every region of the world – Mexico, Serbia, Pakistan, Lebanon, and Ghana with just as diverse participants tuning in to watch. It was a creative way to integrate many free online tools to connect people globally and share ideas.

It was discussed that the internet is an easy form of democracy because it is a tool for empowerment and informed choices. People can use the internet to learn more about proposed policy or political actors. It can take away any myths or misconceptions. Social media tools like Facebook and Twitter also empower people to be more active citizens by connecting people with similar interests and passions, and mobilizing them to act collectively. There are also opportunities for more traditional educational tools like online mentoring programs.

All of the presenters noted how important social media is in the work that they do. With social media being a fundamental component of many professions, not only those in the social sector, it is important that young people start learning how to use it responsibly and for reasons outside of merely chatting with friends. It is a means to open doors professionally. For example, one panelist mentioned that she contributes regularly to many blogs and this opened doors for her in the journalism field with offers for different publications. It is important for young people to gain professional development opportunities online because they are easily available and required to make it in this wired world.

The importance of online security was also addressed. Young people need to learn the risks involved and be aware of online bullying. They need to be equipped with the ways to handle these situations and to know that there are ways to seek help if they experience or see online bullying. By providing young people with safe outlets to connect and share experiences with others, this risk is reduced. Programs such as eKWIP teach young people how to use the internet responsibly and for positive reasons so that they do not fall into the riskier aspects of the internet.

-Beth Davis

Gaps in Educational Access for Women

With so many recent books and articles documenting the rapid and unyielding rise in female educational attainment in the U.S., and the simultaneous fall in male education (The End of Men and the Rise of Women by Hanna Rosin being the most prominent example), it is easy to forget about gaps in educational access and attainment in the developing world.

While educational equality in the U.S. and other western nations is sometimes an illusion since societal discrimination steers women to lower-paying and less prestigious careers, the inflammatory  wage differential pales in comparison to the issues that face girls and women in many areas of the developing world. Gender equality should be a goal in every aspect of development and public policy, but educational equity is doubly important because it is successful women more than gender legislation that is effective in changing social norms and perceptions. If women continue to be subjugated in the educational system, they will continue to be subjugated in their professional and personal lives as well, because for better or worse the economic value of women is tied to how valued they are as a member of their community and family.

Despite its centrality to success later in life, being a woman is a distinct disadvantage in the developing world. Although gender equity in education is a development goal that has been in vogue the last couple of decades, women still make up the majority of children who don’t go to primary school. In fact, of the 137 million young people that are illiterate in the world, two thirds are women (Kat Banyard, 2010), it is not coincidental then, that 70 percent of those living in extreme poverty (less than $1 per day) are women (Because I am a Girl: The State of the World’s Girls 2007 Report; Plan UK).

There are myriad reasons why women are educationally underachieving as compared to their male counterparts in the developing world; in many countries school is not publicly provided, and in the places that it is, the costs of school supplies preclude the possibility of attendance; parents are often forced to choose between educating their sons and educating their daughters, and in patriarchal cultures, that isn’t a tough choice; and familial caring obligations are also a key reason. None of these reasons are to be discounted in their magnitude, but perhaps the most insidious of all obstacles women face when pursuing an education is sexual harassment. The many challenges to intellectual betterment do not explain the gap in female education completely, and while poverty and family obligations are not gender-exclusive obstacles, sexual and physical harassment is.

According to the World Health Organization, school is the most common place where sexual harassment against women occurs. In Zimbabwe, an Amnesty International survey found that 92% of school-aged girls had been sexually propositioned by men or boys at or on the way to school. For women who have the opportunity to go to school, where is the incentive when they are faced with such rampant and overt sexual harassment. This obstacle to education is so unique and devastating because when women leave school because of the harassment that they face (usually with no consequences, because “boys will be boys” is still a shockingly accepted rationalization), it seems like it is a personal choice, when it’s not really.

This false choice brings us full circle, and connects educational equality in the Global North to that in the Global South; the largest barrier to equality is the current inequality. In the Western world women are steered into low paying jobs, and then gender gaps are explained away by saying that they are personal choices. While this is a significantly better problem to have than those facing many in the developing world, the root problem is often the same: women opt out of the highest quality education which will lead them to the most lucrative and prestigious careers, but they do so not out of personal agency, but because society conditions them to. Gender inequality should never be tolerated, but it is most pernicious when it precludes women from accessing the one good that has the power to change cultural perceptions: education.

- Karis McGill

GDGWS “Walk for Water” Campaign

 

Students Participating in Walk for Water, India

On the 30^th of January 2013, the 11^th grade students at GDGWS set up a “Walk for Water” campaign to spread awareness about the shortages of clean water and informed young students about the need to save water. This was done through various activities with students of Primary and Middle school.

Students were told about the importance of clean water to living beings and to the environment. Banners were made, showing how water plays a big part in everyone’s lives and the importance of saving it. Banners including slogans were also put up.

The students took a walk around the school campus shouting slogans on saying water and holding up placards and banners which said the same. This was done to spread awareness to the issue of wastage of clean water and the need to conserve it.

Other activities included a brief quiz conducted by the 11^th grade students for the 6^th grade students, asking questions about the use of water in India, regarding how water is, and should be, used. The students were reminded again to remember to save water through minor changes in the way they use water daily. The band from the 11^th grade also performed a self-composed song on saving water, making the campaign much more interesting.

-Shikharjeet, eKWIP Student

Global Human & Economic Development – More than Educational Opportunity

While e-collaborate focuses on educational issues, it is important to grasp the cyclical nature of global human and economic development. Separate facets of the development process do not exist in a vacuum, but rather progress in one area is related to and reinforced by progress in others. Some sectors have been shown to have particularly high multiplier effects on the development process. Aid to and investment in agriculture is one such sector.

Although historically aid to agriculture made up a large part of official development assistance, investment in agriculture as a share of the international aid budget, and as a share of domestic budgets in the developing world has been decreasing. That is a worrying trend because of the interconnectedness between agriculture and all other development goals. The pro-poor impact of investment in agriculture makes it an essential part of a successful development agenda. Since small-scale farmers are among the most economically disenfranchised people in the world, and agriculture is the single largest global employment sector, increasing the livelihoods of agricultural workers would drastically reduce poverty rates. Aid to agriculture has also shown much higher rates of return on investment than other types of aid, both in terms of overall economic growth and in poverty reduction.

Since agriculture in the developing world is still primarily undertaken by women, it is also centrally connected to gender empowerment and equity. Improving the lives and incomes of women benefits the entire family, as women have been proved to be more likely to spend their income on health and educational purchases than men are.

An efficient global or national agricultural system can ensure that all citizens have access to the amount of calories, nutrients and micronutrients they need to be as successful and productive as possible and to avoid physical and mental stunting. Access to sufficient calories and nutrients can also ensure a plethora of positive changes, improved infant and maternal health, and increased educational attainment.

The solutions to development issues are as complicated as the problems themselves. Thus, in undertaking development projects it is important to examine the interconnectedness of the root causes. Just as investment in agriculture can and does lead to increased education attainment, non-investment inhibits educational prospects. While we continue to provide educational tools and experiences around the world, education initiatives need to be carried out in the context of larger investments in agriculture and other important sectors, because a tool ceases to be effective when the target populations aren’t sufficiently empowered to take advantage of them.

Education – A Solution to Gender Inequalities & Citizenship Rights

Guatemala is currently ranked the most violent country against women in Latin America and has one of the highest rates of violence against women in the world. In 2008, 39,400 cases of domestic violence were reported and nearly 700 cases of sexual violence are reported each month.  In 2010, the Public Ministry received more than 40,000 reports of violence against women, in addition to reported domestic violence cases.  With less than a two percent conviction rate for sexual violence against women and only 11 people convicted for the over 5,000 femicide/feminicide cases that occurred between 2000-2009, women clearly do not have full citizenship rights in the country as they cannot adequately use the legal system and policy for their protection. There is an unequal power dynamic that favors men, both culturally and politically. This is also seen in the landscape of the country’s politics, with one of the lowest percentages of female representation in all Latin American governments. Only 14.5% of elected officials are women and these numbers are even worse for indigenous women. While roughly 20% of the country is comprised of indigenous women, they represent 3% of local candidates and 2% nationally for government office. In fact, illiterate women only regained the right to vote in 1985, which prior to was a means to suppress the vote of many indigenous women and exclude them from the most basic form of political participation.

I interviewed Mildre Yaxon, an indigenous Guatemalan woman, on her experiences working to empower women and her thoughts on women in politics in the country. I entered the discussion with my own conceptions of the machismo culture excluding women from the political arena and the difficult task of eroding this long-held social and cultural system if we are to see a change in women’s rights.  However, Mildre had a much more optimistic and probable solution, which is through greater access to education and empowering young people to use their voice.  While many of us might see education as solely a means to children’s economic future, it also addresses many other social issues and is a very practical step in addressing the gender disparities in highly unequal societies. It also shows the importance of women’s rights and advocacy groups to reach out to a variety of sectors. There are many organizations providing education and basic services to youth. We must begin to build a bridge between those organizations and rights based organizations to see the change we want in the future.

Interview with Mildre Yaxon:
How involved are women in politics in Guatemala?

I would say it is probably less than 1 percent but there are intentions to change this. It used to be zero. It does exist and there are women that have the ideology that they can be part of this type of decision making. Women have more opportunities now. In the past, there were women leaders but in an informal way, and the machismo did not allow them to participate formally. Now it is sometimes women that do not support female leaders and it is not part of their conscious that they should help support other women be leaders. Sometimes, instead of supporting women in politics, we criticize them and do not lift them up. The majority of the country is women so it should not be like this. There is not equilibrium in power even though we are the majority.

What do you think keeps women from being more involved?

In the past it was a lack of formal education. Many women participate in community capacity trainings but not formal education, unless they have the drive to express what they want and to work with groups of people in this area to achieve education. Their academic status hurts them from participating in formal politics. It is hard for women to be able to study. It was also the family’s decision if their daughter went to school. Now more young people are demanding education and this will change things for women.

How can we help more indigenous women excel in politics?

A lot of it is changing the family structure.  We need to teach our children to make their own decisions and to pursue higher education. This does not necessarily mean that we need to raise kids to be more independent from the family because that goes against our culture. But, it is hard for our young people to move away from their families to go to university because this is not an accepted practice. And then if they are able to leave for university, they are not used to expressing their opinions and having a voice. It makes them less able to participate in classrooms and do well in university. It starts as children to be empowered by your family to speak up and express yourself. Women need more education and the confidence to pursue it and use their voice.

Some scholars have argued that the lack of speaking out and having a voice is carried over from the war where it was dangerous to do so. Do you think this is true and still relevant for today’s youth in Guatemala?

I am 26 (the war officially ended when Mildre was 10) and it is still hard for me to speak out and use my voice to express myself.  It is not a fear left over from the war, but a shame because I grew up feeling like I am not valued and I lacked self-esteem, and often still do. It is hard to feel like others would want to hear my opinions or would care what I have to say. The younger kids today do not seem to be the same. They say more and yell in the streets.

What motivated you to help empower indigenous women?

My life experiences since I was a child. I was mistreated.  There was a lot of violence, and depression came from this. We did not have money to buy decent clothes and other kids laughed at me. This was all a big motivation to decide to work directly with women. My mom was a big motivation because she suffered a lot, but I saw the determination and personal growth in her. She never studied in school, but it never slowed her down from seeking more in life. She always wanted to learn more and participated in many capacity building opportunities provided by local organizations. She worked hard to achieve what she did. Her experience helped me a lot by opening more opportunities and guiding me. She was a leader in the community and of other groups, even on the municipal level at one point. This influenced how I think today and motivated me to study and to want a family. I could have been scared of the violence that could come with having a family because of what I witnessed through my mom’s experience, but she told me things would be different for me.  She advised me a lot and helped to make me strong and fight for other women. I know there are many other women like my mom, who even though uneducated, are great leaders when given the chance. I want to give women these opportunities as pay back to my mom for what she has done for me. We cannot change everything, but we can change the lives of a few. That is my passion and what I hope to accomplish.

It makes me happy to know that in other countries there are organizations and women that want to know more about us and our experiences. It is like planting a seed to do something good and to make a change. Women are the most vulnerable group in the world, and we need a lot of support to change this. I look at you and others that are fighting for women in many other places. It is like we are building a chain around the world that is connecting us to support women everywhere.

References:

Bellino, Michelle.  “Feminicide and Silence in “Postwar” Guatemala” Women’s Policy Journal of Harvard Vol. 7 2009-2010

Borzutzky, Silvia and Carinne Ogrodnik.  “Women under Attack: Violence and Poverty in Guatemala”  Journal of International Women’s Studies Vol. 12., No. 1  2011

Carey Jr., David and M. Gabriela Torres.  “Precursors to Femicide: Guatemalan Women in a Vortex of Violence”  Latin American Research Review Vol. 45, No. 3 2010

Carlsen, Laura. “From Survivors to Defenders: Women Confronting Violence in Mexico, Honduras & Guatemala” Novel Women’s Initiative and JASS (Just Associates) 2012

An Inspirational Evening with Geoffrey Canada

Teachers should have the same expectations for their students that they have for their own children.

-Geoffrey Canada, Founder and CEO of The Harlem Children’s Zone

The executive team and families of the Coalition for International Initiatives (CII) enjoyed an inspirational evening with educational reformer Mr. Geoffrey Canada. The event began with a memorable face-to-face with Mr. Canada where he listened to our vision for global collaboration between schools in India and the United States. His interest and true passion for education was revealed when he focused on how our goals are going to benefit children. Even in this informal social scenario, Mr. Canada was searching for an answer to the “true” educator’s core question, “What is best for kids?” The keynote presentation was passionate and transcended the early technical difficulties with the microphone. Through it all a message of hope and faith in the education for all children, despite their current life situation, was felt in the hearts and minds of all who attended. At the conclusion of the evening, Mr. Canada left the audience with two challenges to improve education in America: unshakable optimism and constant innovation. We at CII believe we can accept Mr. Canada’s challenge because of our belief that all children can learn when given the opportunity and the community support to find academic and social success. That is why we are building an interactive online classroom community  that will allow children in the US and India to collaborate on Problem-based Learning (PbL) projects in all subject areas including an interactive science laboratory, Exploriments. When children are given the freedom and support to explore their own world to make meaning and solve problems, true educational gains can made in schools at every level.

Photo Credit: C. McGough

Gregory M. McGough, M.Ed.

CII Chief Academic Officer

First ‘Teachable Moment’ Triggered

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” – Henry Ford

 

It all started with a simple post to the Teachable Moments Submission Forum from Subhra Kanti Das of Harvest International School in Ludhiana,Punjab India. His article ‘Art and Philosophy’ can be found in the teacher forum pages. While reading the article, a ‘teachable moment’ was triggered in my mind for a great lesson. The article states that the ‘human angle’ of global current events can be felt through the power of art. In a world of 24-hour news coverage, it is important to slow students down and have them analyze and reflect upon a static representation in order to reach a level of depth that a passing glance doesn’t reach.

This T2M inspired my students to briefly research photographs that were taken during the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11th. After reading the article provided by my international co-teacher, Subhra, my students used the Internet to harvest photos that captured their impression of what the tragedy truly meant. They then reflected upon the experience and crafted a three-part reflective paragraph to capture their individual perspective.

It does not take much to trigger a teachable moment…sometimes just an inspired idea or concept. In this case, it was one teacher sharing an interesting article. I encourage everyone to take a look at the T2M that Subhra and I are working on together. Please take the lesson and try it with your students. You can post a response to the forum with attachments of your student work. Have fun exploring the world and learning with your international co-teachers.

Gregory M. McGough, M.Ed.

CII Chief Academic Officer

Photo credit: Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnavy/5535645594/

 

Breaking Naan with 21st-Century Leaders

Interest does not tie nations together; it sometimes separates them. But sympathy and understanding does unite them. -Woodrow T. Wilson

Naan is a traditional bread of Northern India, and it was one of the Indian food selections offered to guests of the Coalition for International Initiatives(CII), at last night’s dinner. Innovative 21st Century school leaders from Spring Grove, Conewago Valley, Eastern York, and Gettysburg School Districts decided to attend a demonstration of the eKWIP website held at the New Hope Academy Charter School in York, PA. These leaders understand the impact of globalization and recognize that educational programs and practices must prepare children for international collaboration.

The 21st Century is being defined by the ability of organizations to connect to people from all nations around the world. This powerful innovation process has been felt by commerce and industry but has had less of an impact on mainstream school populations. Granted there are those forward thinking teachers in districts who seek out innovation and creative practices on their own and have connected internationally using Moodle tools and Skype. These teachers are to be applauded for their efforts in developing 21st Century skills in tandem with their core curriculum.

One of the areas of difficulty with this singular teacher approach is that it is difficult to model and implement across disciplines within schools. Techno-phobia is causing paralysis in innovative educational technology practices because the fear of user error is too strong.

The eKWIP (educating Kids With International Possibilities) is an open-source online learning platform that was developed through the cooperation of CII, LogicBay and IETS, a division of IL&FS, an India-based infrastructure Company. These collaborators believe in the mission that children can develop international sensitivities through standards-focused teachable moments. It is the academic rigor of the lessons that allows the eKWIP platform to transcend those surface online programs that have weak academic merit. Although rigorous in instruction, the program was designed with a user-friendly approach to aid in ease of dissemination across educational institutions.

At the demonstration last night, leaders from the aforementioned schools experienced the site and willingly signed up to take part in the R&D of the site and companion teaching model of T2M during the spring semester. Grade levels within the K to 12 sequence will be represented in this research project.  School children in the US and India will be able to communicate and share artifacts of learning collected during the teachable moment phase of the learning process. This international collaboration will trigger more teachable moments and bring a cultural richness to a curriculum that is recently becoming too sanitized and standardized.

It is at this moment, that we at CII would like to thank New Hope Academy Charter School,  DPS Gwalior, and the Mahatma Gandhi International school for their participation in the soft-start of this online program in late November and early December, 2010. We would also like to extend a warm thank you to the school leaders who met last night to put children first in international collaboration.

Gregory M. McGough, M.Ed.

CII Chief Academic Officer

Building International Perspectives – One Moment at a Time

“In 2010, trade between our countries [India & U.S.] is not just a one-way street of American Jobs and companies moving to India. It is dynamic, two-way relationship that is creating jobs, growth, and higher living standards in both our countries.”

– U.S. President Barack Obama on Tour in India

On Sunday (Nov. 6), CNN news reported a story detailing President Obama’s 2010 Asian tour and its political ramifications. This three-day Presidential tour marked the longest trip to a foreign country that President Obama has made since taking office. He announced on Saturday that American companies like Boeing and General Electric are going to benefit from an increased business relationship with India that will result in $10 billion in economic growth. While in India, the President and first lady visited the Mahatma Gandhi museum in Mumbai because of his fascination with the life of Gandhi. On the cultural side, the President and First Lady also took part in the celebration of Diwali, the Indian Festival of Lights. This trip marked a renewed interest in building cultural and business alliances between the two countries and their leaders President Obama and Prime Minister Singh.

The proliferation of Internet technology has connected the four corners of the world allowing countries like the U.S. and India to collaborate and communicate in innovative and creative ways.  The type of international collaboration that President Obama is calling for with India relies upon the strength of the education systems in both countries to change their perspective  from a local to an international scope. No longer will schools be able to just develop a harmonious cultural landscape within their own brick and mortar walls. The development of Smart classrooms coupled with Web 2.0 technologies is driving innovation in instructional practices that will allow for collaboration of global classroom communities. The T2M(triggering teachable moments)  instructional design model housed on the eKWIP (educating Kids With International Possibilities) platform was developed to create the proper environment for cross cultural collaboration between Indian & U.S. schools. The eWKIP website was launched less than two weeks ago and is almost ready to manage student work uploaded from both sides of the world.

On Friday (Nov.5), I had the chance to take the eKWIP platfrom out for a test with my first triggering of a teachable moment. Traditional teachable moments usually occur organically as an aside to a preplanned lesson. A student questions a particular element of a lesson, and the teacher leaves the script to offer a clear explanation in order to satisfy the curiosity of the student. The power of the teachable moment rests in the motivation to understand a concept because of an innate curiosity in the mind of the learner. One of the problems with teachable moments is their relative unpredictability. The T2M model was designed on the premise that teachable moments can be triggered with the proper environmental conditions and teacher support.

This past Friday (Nov.5) I was planning on teaching a sample lesson using eKWIP with my high school seniors. I strategically started the day by asking them to respond on a notecard to the triggering question, “What is the significance of the holiday of Diwali?” It was their inability to answer this question that caused a desire to know. The students asked the purpose of the question, and I explained that Nov. 5 is Diwali in India. One student quickly raised his hand and asked why we would want to learn about a country that is stealing American jobs. I explained that Americans have much to learn when discussing future relationships with India.

After the triggering question and negative student response, the rest of the class was interested enough to vote unanimously to participate in my 20-25 minute teachable moment. My plans made use of what I believe to be the key elements of a teachable moment: one academic standard, triggering question(s), a sequence of instruction, international collaboration, and authentic assessment. We began by locating India using the the Google maps link on the eKWIP website. After establishing the correct geographic location, the students read a small passage, lit a traditional Diwali lamp, and ate authentic Indian candy: Besan Ladoo & Kaju Burfee. They were skeptical at first but most of them made an attempt with the sweets. The students also enjoyed the ancient Indian artform of the Rangoli and wanted to know more about how they were designed. A rangoli is a colorful sand art display that acts as a welcome decoration for homes during Diwali.  At the conclusion of the lesson, the students were asked to reflect on the teachable moment. Here are a few of the comments they wrote:

1. “What I liked the most is how they have a holiday that brings their families together.”

2. “I learned that Diwali is a national holiday in India. They celebrate for 5 days and light fireworks and give gifts. I like the candy too!”

3. “The festival of lights is a celebration of prayer for good health, peace, and wisdom. Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity visits Indian children on Diwali.”

4. “Diwali is a yearly celebration that combines many of the traditions of multiple American holidays.”

5. “Would it be possible to write some questions for you to post on the site for students in India to answer?”

 

One of the wonderful elements of T2M is the ability to stack moments together to develop a deeper understanding of complex issues. As part of a non-fiction reading assignment I am teaching on Monday (Nov. 8), I am going to have my students read the CNN article titled Obama in India for Start of Asian Tour . I will start by reminding my class about the comment one of them made about Indian citizens stealing our jobs. The students will draw on schema from Friday’s lesson and will be able to make connections to the article that would have eluded them before. It is as if the first moment sparked interest and understanding in the second moment. The President’s tour in Asia heralded a new era of equitable international partnerships between India and U.S., and schools in both countries should be preparing students to take part in this important endeavor. In developing broad international perspectives, schools can begin the process of multi-cultural learning one moment at a time.

Gregory M. McGough, M.Ed.

CII Chief Academic Officer