This document outlines a proposal to increase global competence at Buffalo High School. It defines global competence and argues that it is important for students given increasing globalization and interconnectedness. The school already has some global structures in place but could do more to ensure students learn key skills like investigating other cultures, recognizing diverse perspectives, communicating across borders, and taking informed action on global issues. The document suggests focusing curriculum on 21st century global problems and providing opportunities for students to connect with and learn from people in other countries through activities like international projects, guest speakers, and study abroad. Next steps proposed are assessing global education efforts and committing departments to global education goals.

1. Global Education & Increasing
Global Competence
Buffalo High School – Johnson County School District #1
Buffalo, WY

2. Presentation Outline
• Definition of Global Competency
• Why Increasing Global Competence is Important
• Benefits to a Rural School District
• Structures We Already Have in Place throughout JCSD1
• Ideas for Going Global
• Where can/should we go from here?

3. Let’s Consider How Far Education Has Come:
Image: www.historicalphotos.pressible.org

4. Let’s Consider What Education will Become…
Image: Drexel University

5. Are We Preparing Our Students for the Future?
• Fewer than 10% of our college and university students study
abroad.
• 2/3 of young adults in America can’t find Iraq on a map and 3/4
think English is the most widely spoken language on the planet.
• Only 1/3 of American students are proficient in world studies.
• …Yet 93% of Americans believe international knowledge is
important.

6. A Student’s Perspective:
(worldsavvy.org)

7. An Overview of Wyoming:
• 54% increase in foreign-born population in the
last 10 years
• 11% annual growth in goods exports
• 16% of our jobs are tied to international trade
• The vast majority of students do not take part
in study abroad programs <1.5%
(source – mappingthenation.com)

8. What is Global Competence?
Possession of the
knowledge, skills,
and disposition to
understand and act
creatively on issues
of global
significance.
(Source: The Asia Society)

9. Why Go Global?
Global Economy
A Flattened Global Economy
Image: Canadian Chamber of Commerce
A Changing World
Unprecedented
Global Migration
Image: International Infographics
Environmental Stewardship
Global Climate Instability
Growing Need for Global Environmental
Citizenship
Image: www.downtoearth.org

10. Why Go Global? – a Flattened Global Economy
• “Globalization, the accelerating traffic of goods, ideas, people,
and capital around the world, has leveled the playing field for
workers all over. And increasingly, employers are looking for
competent, reliable individuals who will work at an attractive cost
– regardless of location.”
• “At the beginning of the 20th century only 5% of the jobs in
America required specialized knowledge and skill. By the year
2009 at least 70% did so.”
-The Asia Society-

11. Why Go Global? – Unprecedented Global Migration
The Nature of Neighborhoods, Identities, & Citizenship is Changing
• “If all migrants were considered one country, it would be the fourth
largenst in the world in population after China (1.4 billion), India (1.2
billion), and the U.S. (317 million).” (2010 – The Asia Society)
• “Students who have learned intercultural skills, understand multiple
contexts and traditions, and have had multiple opportunities to reflect
on their own worldviews in light of others’ are less likely to experience
difference as a threat requiring violent defense. Rather they are more
likely to experience the cultural encounter as an opportunity for
exchange and collaboration.”
-The Asia Society -

12. Why Go Global? – Global Environmental Needs
Climate Instability & The Growing Need
for Global Environmental Citizenship
“An important job for the next generations will be that of managing
the consequences of climate change and devising effective
solutions for mitigation and adaptation.”
~The Asia Society

13. Global Education for a Rural School
There are four straight-forward competencies to develop in our
students:
• To Recognize Perspectives
• To Investigate the World
• To Communicate Ideas with Diverse Audiences
• To Take Action (or at least understand how…)

14. Rural Students become Global Students when
they learn to:
• Investigate the world beyond one’s own immediate environment,
framing significant problems and conducting well-crafted and age-
appropriate research
• Recognize perspectives, others’ and one’s own, while articulating
and explaining such perspectives thoughtfully and respectfully.
• Communicate ideas effectively with diverse audiences, bridging
geographic, linguistic, ideological and cultural barriers.
• Take action to improve conditions viewing oneself as a player in
the world and participating reflectively.

15. Global Competence for our Rural Schools
Because of the nature of our environment and the homogeneous
nature of our constituency, we could “go global” by:
 ensuring that students learn to effectively Investigate the World
& Recognize Diverse Perspectives
From there, we can teach our students the other two global
competencies by providing opportunities to:
 Communicate with Diverse Audiences and develop ideas to Take
Action.

16. Advantage for our Rural Students
Students develop confidence and empathy.
Students become empowered!
“Students who are able to envision and carry out a plan of action – perhaps to
aid cultural dialogue through community service or raise awareness about
different perspectives thorugh an art exhibit or blog – come to view
themselves as active ccontributors in an increasingly diverse world.”
- The Asia Society

17. How Global Are We Already?
• Students take World History their Freshman Year of high school
• Students have the opportunity for foreign travel in both middle and high
school
• We accept exchange students from other countries
• The local Rotary Club offers exchange opportunities for our students
• We study other countries and cultures from a distance
• We have a strong Agricultural Science program that helps deal with local,
regional, national, and global Ag Issues
• Students can study World Language in high school, but only Spanish is offered
as a complete program

18. Where Should We Focus?
1. Connect Buffalo High School with the World
2. Connect the World to Buffalo High School
3. Be deliberate and utilize the vast resources (and
technologies) already in place

19. For Starters: We Could Focus More Energy on
Teaching about 21st Century Global Problems
Examples of Global 21st Century Problems:
• War/Terrorism
• Refugees
• Climate change
• Global health –AIDS, Malnutrition, Access to Sanitation
• Internet Rights & Freedom
• Human/Workers’ Rights
• Global economics
(just to name a few)

20. Ideas for Expanding Global Competence
• Establish a “sister school” in another country
• Create projects that involve students in multiple countries
• Invite globally-focused speakers and performers
• Participate in globally-focused service projects
• Hold globally focused movie nights / book clubs
• Create an international photo gallery
• Identify and utilize resources from local universities
• Establish a global competency committee (PLC)
• Modify the curriculum, globalize courses
• Encourage globally-focused extracurricular activities
• Create an International Week

21. Next Steps
• Complete the Global Education Checklist
• “Globalize” the Curriculum
• Make the four Global Competencies a Priority
• Each Department can Commit to a “Global Education Goal” for 2016-2017

22. Resources:
• worldsavvy.org
• asiasociety.org
• IREX – Teachers for
Global Classrooms
• Primarysource.org