LEARN
ORGANIZATIONS
Recommended Organizations
for Global Educators (clickable link)
Key Terms & Definition
GLOBAL EDUCATION
Global education is an intentional approach to teaching and learning that prepares students to understand and participate in an increasingly interconnected world. It encourages learners to investigate issues beyond their immediate experience, recognize and value diverse cultural perspectives, communicate and collaborate across differences, and understand the connections between local communities and global systems. It also challenges educators to take the work they are doing in the classroom and shape it to better prepare students to impact the world around them. Rather than existing as a separate subject, global education is a lens that can be applied across disciplines, helping students develop the knowledge, skills, empathy, curiosity, and agency necessary to engage thoughtfully with others and take informed action as members of both their local and global communities.
The idea that it provides a lens across content areas is incredibly important. We are not talking about a mere snapshot moment (International Day or Black History Month etc.). We are talking about a constant recognition of the global impacts upon our students and their learning.
GLOBAL COMPETENCY
Global competency is the ability to understand, communicate, and work with people and ideas from different cultures and perspectives. A globally competent person is curious about the world, considers viewpoints beyond their own, communicates respectfully across differences, and understands how local and global issues are connected. It also means using what we learn to make thoughtful choices and take action in our schools, communities, and the wider world.
GLOBAL EDUCATION vs. GLOBAL COMPETENCY
So, what’s the real difference between these two closely related terms?
GLOBAL EDUCATION represents the process and approach that educators use to prepare students.
GLOBAL COMPETENCY represents the capacity a stakeholder (an educator, a student, an administrator, a community member, etc.) develops to understand and engage with the world around them.
Asia Society works with educators, schools, and communities to prepare students to understand and participate in an increasingly interconnected world. Its global education work provides frameworks, resources, and professional learning that help educators teach students to investigate the world, recognize different perspectives, communicate across cultures, and take informed action.
World Savvy works with educators, schools, and districts to build global competence into everyday teaching and learning. Through professional learning, coaching, and classroom resources, it helps students develop the skills to understand different perspectives, explore real-world issues, collaborate across differences, and take meaningful action in their communities and the world.
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
The OECD examines how education systems around the world can better prepare young people for increasingly diverse and interconnected societies. Its research and global education frameworks help educators and policymakers understand how schools can develop students’ cultural awareness, critical thinking, and ability to engage thoughtfully with global issues.
The United Nations and UNESCO promote education as a powerful tool for building peace, reducing inequality, protecting human rights, and creating a more sustainable world. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide 17 shared global goals that give educators and students a framework for exploring real-world challenges and connecting classroom learning to issues affecting communities around the world.
National Geographic Education uses geography, exploration, science, and storytelling to help students examine the world through multiple cultural, environmental, historical, and geographic perspectives. Its resources support global competency by encouraging learners to think critically about an interconnected world, consider perspectives beyond their own, and use their knowledge to make informed decisions and take meaningful action.