Global Schools Program - Generation Global1
Website
Organization: tonyblairfaithfoundation.org
Generation Global program: http://generation.global/
Countr(ies)
Organization based in the United Kingdom
Programs offered in Egypt, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Mexico, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, UAE, Ukraine, UK, and US
Grade Level of Students Participating
6 to 11
Number of Students Participating per Year
5001-10,000
Year Organization Began
2008
Relationship to the public education system
The curricula are used in subject specific classrooms and student clubs in public and private schools.
Organization’s Vision and Mission
To provide practical support to counter religious conflict and extremism in order to promote open-minded and stable societies.
Brief Description of Program Activities
Generation Global cultivates students' skills of dialogue, critical thinking, as well as cultural and digital literacies. Students are then able to practice these skills, directly encountering their global peers through facilitated videoconferences and a moderated online community.
Participating teachers are provided with professional development and a free curriculum ‘The Essentials of Dialogue” (link: Bit.ly/e-o-d), which contains eight chapters that can be divided into two sections each:
- The first section contains some theory, information that will help to outline the key issues in each different area, and which will suggest some ideas to help teachers to prepare for working with their students.
- In the second section, there are practical classroom ideas for developing these skills and approaches with students. Each chapter includes a range of activities. These activities will help students to explore, develop and practice the skills of dialogue in the classroom.
Program Content: Intrapersonal Competencies
The program aims to foster the intrapersonal competencies of appreciation for diversity, and overcoming prejudice and misunderstandings. It cultivates students’ open-mindedness, particularly in regard to others who might appear to be different from them.
Program Content: Interpersonal Competencies
The program aims to foster the interpersonal competencies of Global Dialogue – advanced communication skills with global peers. It cultivates enhanced cultural and religious literacy – understanding and appreciating a range of different perspectives as well as enhanced digital literacy. Through the program activities, children will be able to think critically about information found online, and engage in sophisticated and respectful online dialogue.
Program Content: Cognitive Competencies
The program aims to foster children’s cognitive competencies of critical thinking by challenging them to think about stereotypes, reflect on what influences their opinion and think about their own identities.
Program Content: Attitudes and Values
The program aims to foster the attitudes and values of creating dialogues across differences and being open-minded and respectful of differences.
Program Content: Pedagogy/Active Engagement of Students
The program engages students through hands-on, experiential learning projects and having real conversations with real peers around the world via the internet.
Reference list
1All information from this table come from Tony Blair Foundation's website and phone conversation with Head of Training and Education, Ian Jamison and Head of US Programs, Claire Lorentzen in May 2016.
Prepared by
Vincent Chunhao Qian