 Global project based learning allows students to make connections with peers around the world as they explore issues that are relevant to their lives. These connections promote international mindedness, an important skill for success in the 21st century. Jane Drake, Head of Curriculum Innovation and Alignment at International Baccalaureate (IB), defines international-mindedness as “a world view in which people see themselves connected to the global community and assume a sense of responsibility to its members (humans, other living things and the planet).” By learning with peers from around the world, students are exposed to diverse cultures, experiences, and perspectives. These learning experiences promote respect and understanding of other cultures, which are important skills for students’ future success.
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 While February is officially Black History Month in the United States, it’s important to discuss issues like discrimination, identity, and civil rights with your students all year long. Teachers around the world can incorporate lessons about civil rights movements from different countries to help students understand that the fight for equality transcends borders, skin color, religion, and gender.   Political leaders across the USA are being sworn into office this month. As elected officials, they’ll help make decisions that affect towns, cities, and states across the USA. Young people have a lot of opinions and ideas about the issues affecting their futures. That’s why so many students are exploring American Perspectives, a project based learning unit that allows students to form and share opinions about some of today’s most important issues such as education, health care, the economy, energy, immigration. Students have access to information about a variety of political perspectives through guiding questions, videos, texts, and images.
This week, we are excited to highlight a 5th grade class from Fox Meadow Elementary School in New York, USA as our PenPal Stars! 
Did you know that one in five jobs are connected to international trade? Our world is becoming more interconnected every day, highlighting the need to help our students develop as globally competent citizens that can successfully work with people around the world. This is highlighted by the UN’s fourth sustainable development goal (SDG), which calls for “inclusive and equitable quality education that promotes lifetime learning opportunities for all”. One way that the UN will track this success is by monitoring schools’ use of global citizenship education.
How does immigration affect your community? Though politics and the news seem filled with nothing else, it can be difficult to see past the rhetoric to the people just beyond our doors. PenPal Schools Global Ambassador Anna Dudich and her students set out to change that by joining the PenPal Schools project Immigration in the 21st Century.
We met up with Anna to learn more about how she fostered global thinking and local action in this project based learning example from Ukraine. This month, the world came together in sport and competition for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Athletes from 92 countries competed in winter sporting events like ice hockey, snowboarding, and luge while their fans at home cheered them on. PenPals around the world have been participating in the international spirit of the Olympics, too, by connecting to learn more about the historic games. In 2018 Winter Olympics, students learned about the history of the Olympics and the events in the winter games, as well as researched Olympians competing in 2018.  This week, we celebrate Ms. Ruhl’s class from Wisconsin, USA who participated in 2018 Winter Olympics.
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