Professional Learning

Back-to-School Meet-Ups for Global Directors

September 7, 2023 // 9AM Pacific / 12PM Eastern / 6PM Central European

September 20, 2023 // 12PM Pacific / 3PM Eastern / 9PM Central European

These meet-ups are a casual opportunity to reconnect with colleagues leading global education initiatives to hear what they are planning for this fall and to hear about resources from GEBG. We offer meet-ups free of charge to adults from GEBG Member Schools, and you are welcome to register for one or both of them. We don’t record meet-ups in support of frank and open conversation.

Register Here

Meet-up on Immersive Learning for Mandarin Language Students: Travel Programs in China?

September 27, 2023 // 12PM Pacific / 3PM Eastern / 9PM Central European

As schools seek immersive learning opportunities for their Mandarin language students, we know many educators are evaluating options including whether and when to return to travel programming in mainland China. Join other educators to share questions and thinking, and to hear how some schools are supporting their students’ language learning.

Register Here

Curriculum Webinar

September 21, 2023 // 9AM Pacific / 12PM Eastern / 6PM Central European

We are excited to announce our newest publication: Designing Curriculum for an Interconnected World. Tools and resources for developing global competency-based curriculum across the school.

This global curriculum design toolkit reflects GEBG’s mission to support member schools to bring global perspectives, global issues, and global competencies into their teaching and learning to empower their students as global citizens. This free toolkit for member schools was developed over a number of years in response to requests for a resource to support classroom teachers as they seek to develop this kind of curricula, in the classroom and beyond.

To support curriculum leaders and schools to make best use of this resource, we will host a free webinar for member schools to highlight ways the toolkit can support teaching and learning goals.

Register Here

Virtual Risk-Management Training Course for Overnight-Travel Program Leaders

As many schools focus on training leaders in risk management of overnight travel programs in domestic and international settings, we will be offering a fully virtual, asynchronous, self-paced training course this fall.

Leaders of overnight programs in schools are usually teachers, coaches, and other members of the school community. While the skill set necessary for leadership of overnight programs has many overlaps with the competencies of these school professionals, there are other essential understandings and skills necessary to manage the many risks associated with domestic and international learning experiences. This custom training is catered to support these busy school leaders and to support your continued work in developing and improving your school’s risk-management policies, procedures, and capacity.

Course Essential Questions:

>>What is risk management (RM)? Why is it important to teacher-leaders of overnight programs, domestic and international?

>>What are some of the relevant model practices in managing risk for overnight travel? What does pre- and post-travel risk management entail—in addition to on-site risk-management for domestic and international programs?

>How can I as an educator and trip leader best keep students, leaders, and the institution safe from both wellbeing and liability risks before, during, and after an overnight travel program?

Microcourse content to include some recorded presentations, video content, scenarios, and related resources. Participants who complete all required components of the course will receive certificate of completion.

+ FORMAT: Virtual, fully asynchronous online course through Canvas LMS // 4-6 total hours (self paced)

+ DATES: Course runs asynchronously through the 2023-2024 school year

+ COST: $195, members only; discount for schools with more than 10 participants

+ AUDIENCE: Travel program leaders, global directors, school administrators

REGISTER HERE

Virtual Risk Management Training Course for Leadership and Administration for Domestic and International Travel Programs

This microcourse helps participants identify aspects of their current practices that they want to expand as well as areas for new development through collaborative efforts. Through a series of recorded conversations with experts across the international risk-management field, participants will be able to identify the core practices relevant to their school at this time and to learn about how these experts are thinking about and managing COVID-related risks at this time. Curated resources support participants’ ability to look deeper into topics of particular relevance and interest, and the self-paced, fully asynchronous model provides flexibility and independence during this particularly busy time.

Guest speakers include

+ Katie Baum Mettenbrink, Associate Director of Operations, National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS)

+ Jeff Baierlein, Director, Viristar

+ Sara Boisvert, Director of the Powell Institute for Responsible Citizenship, Collegiate School, VA

+ Felipe Correa, Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Envoys

+ Dr. Clare Dallat, Director of Risk Resolve and adjunct member of the Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems

+ Dr. Mark Fischer, Medical Director, International SOS

+ Bill Frederick, Director of Safety at the Guarini Institute at Dartmouth and Founder of Lodestone Safety International

+ Liz Gray, Consultant, Remote Area Risk International (R2Ri)

+ John Hughes, Director of Experiential Education, The Lawrenceville School, NJ

+ Justin Kollinger, Risk Management Consultant, United Educators

+ John Nordquist, Cross-Perspective Consultant, AEE Accreditation Council

+ Bobby Riley, Vice President, Fred C. Church Insurance

+ Steve Smith, Founder, Outdoor Risk Experiential Consulting

+ Henning Snyman, Security Director, International SOS

FORMAT: Virtual, fully asynchronous online course through Canvas LMS // 12-15 total hours (self paced)

DATES: Course runs asynchronously through 2023-2024 school year

COST: $300 for members; $375 for non-members

AUDIENCE: School administrators, global directors, travel program leaders

REGISTER HERE

Virtual Course on Developing and Utilizing Virtual Exchange in Course or Program Curriculum

Virtual exchange provides students in a class or activity an essential opportunity to continue to make connections with others, near and far, developing global competencies. This independent, self-paced course provides teachers, program leaders, and school curriculum developers with model practices in virtual exchange, advice for establishing and sustaining exchanges, and guidance on developing exchanges that are integrated into preexisting programming or coursework. Learning modules include videos, readings, and curated resources.

+ FORMAT: Virtual, fully asynchronous online course through Canvas LMS // 10-12 total hours (self paced)

+ DATES: Course runs asynchronously through the 2023-2024 school year

+ COST: $300 member schools, $375 non-members

+ AUDIENCE: Classroom teachers of all subjects and grade levels, program leaders, and school curriculum developers

REGISTER HERE

Virtual Course on Supporting Student Mental Health on Overnight Programs

Developed and facilitated by Leah Rockwell, Rockwell Wellness Consulting

This course seeks to equip learners with a variety of ways that they can support student mental health in their processes and protocols leading up to travel, during travel and after travel as to mitigate risks related to student mental health crises and to support resilience development in program participants.

Learners will become familiar with mental health concepts such as:

> Current mental health trends in today’s students

> Informed consent

> Definitions of mental health

> Trauma and post-traumatic growth

> Trauma-informed program design

> The “window of tolerance”

> The role of the counselor and the limits of the counseling profession

> The basics of mental health first aid, adapted for travel programs

> Stabilizing and grounding exercises to support mental health

> Emotional dysregulation and co-regulation

+ FORMAT: Virtual, fully asynchronous online course through Canvas LMS // 4-6 total hours (self paced)

+ DATES: Course runs asynchronously through the 2023-2024 school year

+ COST: $300 member schools, $375 non-members

+ AUDIENCE: Overnight Program Leaders, Global Directors, School Administrators

REGISTER HERE

Global Competence Certificate in Partnership with AFS

In order to teach the intercultural competencies necessary for students to thrive as engaged citizens in a diverse society and interconnected world, educators need to understand what those competencies are, what they look like in both students and in themselves, and how to best develop educational environments and opportunities to model and teach these competencies.

GEBG is partnering with AFS Intercultural Programs to offer a Global Competence Certificate program for educators across grade levels and subject areas at GEBG member schools. The program includes a combination of AFS-developed asynchronous online coursework as well as synchronous GEBG-facilitated educator dialogues.

Support the educators in your school to develop and demonstrate the intercultural competencies your global education and DEI commitments ask of them. Participants who complete the program will receive a certificate to accompany the new knowledge, skills, and attitudes developed through the program!

+ FORMAT: Asynchronous online coursework (10-15 hours) and four synchronous, virtual educator dialogues (offered at various times)

+ DATES: Ongoing October-January (fall cohort) and February – May (spring cohort)

+ COST: $250 member schools only

+ AUDIENCE: Adults interested in developing their global competence

Register here

PLC On Global Education in the French and Spanish Language Curriculum 

Although “World” Languages might seem inherently global in nature, teachers committed to developing students as global citizens can go far beyond teaching language skills and cultural knowledge. This PLC will engage current teachers of French and/or Spanish at any grade level K-12 in dialogue around the following questions, as well as any of their own:

> What global competencies are best developed in language classrooms? 

> What does competency-driven French or Spanish curriculum look like across grade levels and schools? How can teachers of French or Spanish better integrate global competencies and/or content into their classes?

> How might educators of French or Spanish evaluate student development with regard to global competencies and global citizenship learning outcomes? 

Participants will explore GEBG resources and numerous school models, and will share their progress around their unique curriculum design goals and contexts. Sessions will include some presentation, dialogue, resource-sharing, modeling, and guest speakers when possible. 

Space is very limited in support of meaningful dialogue and cohort development. 

PLC On Global Education in the World Religions Curriculum

Although “World” Religions might seem inherently global in nature, teachers committed to developing students as global citizens can go far beyond teaching belief systems and religious/spiritual practices around the world and throughout history. This PLC will engage current teachers of world religions at any grade level K-12 in dialogue around the following questions, as well as any of their own:

> What global competencies are best developed in world religions classrooms? 

> What does competency-driven world-religions curriculum look like across grade levels and schools? How can teachers of world religions better integrate global competencies and/or content into their classes?

> How might educators of world religions evaluate student development with regard to global competencies and global citizenship learning outcomes? 

Participants will explore GEBG resources and numerous school models, and will share their progress around their unique curriculum design goals and contexts. Sessions will include some presentation, dialogue, resource-sharing, modeling, and guest speakers when possible. 

Space is very limited in support of meaningful dialogue and cohort development. 

PLC On Global Education Across the Curriculum for Academic Leaders

Leading a department or global education program at a school involves strong understanding of global curriculum development and relevant pedagogies, developing connected curricular experiences across various experiences or grade levels, and mentoring educators who teach both in and out of the classroom. This PLC will engage current curriculum leads for any grade levels K-12 and global directors in dialogue around the following questions, as well as any of their own:

> What does competency-driven global curriculum look like across grade levels and schools? What are sample classroom practices and pedagogical tools that teachers across subject areas and grade levels can use?

> How might educators evaluate student development with regard to global competencies and global citizenship learning outcomes? 

> How do leaders of departments or programs collaborate with key stakeholders to improve current curriculum or to develop new courses, large-scale, or all-school programs? 

Participants will explore GEBG resources and numerous school models, and will share their progress around their unique curriculum design goals and contexts. Sessions will include some presentation, dialogue, resource-sharing, modeling, and guest speakers when possible. 

Space is very limited in support of meaningful dialogue and cohort development.  

Workshop on Empowering our Students: Local Action on Global Issues

Many schools struggle to find concrete ways for students to engage meaningfully with the global issues they care about and with the communities around them, and even when students are provided the opportunity to apply their learning in a context beyond their classrooms, “taking action” can at times lack foundational understanding of the topic, valuable knowledge about the community, or essential acknowledgement of the complexity of the system.

How do we help students address challenges like climate change and social-justice issues that affect them personally and impact their peers, locally and globally? How can we ensure that students are empowered and informed with the agency to engage meaningfully with pressing issues in positive and sustainable ways? How can we make sure students consider and possibly modify their everyday thought patterns and habits? 

Join this workshop to explore models of student engagement programming implemented by GEBG Member Schools and their community partners.  Come away with the tools to refresh and revise your own process, adopting an approach that places long term sustainable programs at its core. Leave with a revitalized understanding and practical strategies to enhance your student action initiatives for thoughtful student development as engaged global citizens.

 Some topics that will be addressed include

> Multiple perspectives on thoughtful and purposeful student engagement programming design;

> Organizational approaches to action-based programming, including staffing and leadership training;

> Incorporating DEI practices as a core value of programming;

> How community-based learning differs from traditional understandings of community service;

How students can take local action on global issues, like gender equity or climate change.

Guest Speakers

 

>Rhiannon Boyd, Director JK-12 Capstones, Collegiate School

>Marley Matlack, Director of the Alvord Center for Global & Environmental Studies, The Loomis Chaffee School

>RJ Sakai, Director of Social Innovation and Co-Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Sequoyah School

>Fran Turner, Director of Civic and Global Engagement, The Lovett School

 

+ FORMAT: Virtual Workshop 
+ DATE: October 3, 2023 12.00-1.30 Pacific // 3.00-4.30 Eastern // 9.00-10.30PM CEST
+ Cost: $45 Member Schools // $60 Non-Member Schools

REGISTER HERE

Workshop on Gender-Inclusion for Overnight Travel

Increasingly, GEBG Schools are considering how to support students of all identities on overnight travel programs, and specifically, gender-inclusive policies and procedures.

Join this workshop to hear from current school leaders as well as experts in the field of gender inclusion and expansion about how we might best support all students as we develop opportunities for them to learn about themselves and the world around them.

+ FORMAT: Virtual Workshop 
+ DATE: December 2023 
+ Cost: $45 Member Schools // $60 Non-Member Schools

Registration forthcoming