IC Visioning
Inspire Citizens continues to develop interconnected relationships across elements of teacher training, student empowerment, global-competence-based curriculum development, activists in residence visits, student public media program development, wellness and mentoring design, and EAL and diverse learner advocacy.
steve@inspirecitizens.org / @inspirecitizen1
aaron@inspirecitizens.org / @inspirecitizen2
Local Chinese teachers share their thoughts on their experience working with Inspire Citizens in classroom practice:
During the first semester of the 2017-18 school year, we were lucky to have the opportunity to co-teach with and coach Elfie, Sherry, and Fanny on the intricacies of civic-driven project-based learning, embedded formative assessment, EAL language objectives, student public media, and our practice of facilitating global-competence-driven inquiry. This interview captures their teacher reflections of the learning experience in a dual language conversation with student journalists who also worked closely with the visiting teachers.
Project Zero Harvard presents the
OECD PISA Global Competence Framework
Why do we need global competence?
- to live harmoniously in multicultural communities
- to thrive in a changing labour market
- to use media platforms effectively and responsibly
- to support the Sustainable Development Goals
How schools can promote global competence:
- providing opportunities to learn about global developments
- teaching students how they can develop a fact-based and critical worldview of today
- equipping students with the means to analyze a broad range of cultural practices and meanings
- engaging students in experiences that facilitate intercultural relations
- promoting the value of diversity
Inspire citizens
teacher trainers,
Visioning team,
consultants
Steve's interview for the JUMP! Foundation Blog on Global Citizenship:
Q: Why teach for global citizenship?
A: Global Citizenship is a calling. David Brooks recently asked the question, “Where does the world’s deepest problem meet one’s deepest need?” This is the question that helped guide me, as a teacher, towards identifying a void in our educational systems and a void in my personal wellbeing. It centered on three core questions: What is a deep problem outside of me that I can help to solve? Why did I become a teacher? How do I want to be remembered by my students?
In discovering this global competency void in our education systems, my solution and personal calling became a drive to discover and create ways to best embed global competency into all aspects of my class environment.
This became my core mission: A moral imperative to provide my students access to the complex, interconnected nuances of a challenging world. Every day, as a teacher, I must guide my students towards seeking authentic and sustainable solutions. As a teacher, I must mentor students navigating through the noise of surface media with the desire and curiosity to seek integrity and truth. As a teacher, I must open kids’ hearts to care, open their minds to be curious and aware, provide them the skills to be change makers, and allow their confidence to blossom into deep and meaningful action.
The results have filled me with joy: Students succeeding as whole children; students full of curiosity; students that are less narcissistic; students that are happier and more balanced; students passionate about having a voice for change; and students at ease with the search to find their own callings, which when combined with others, can truly make our world a better place, overflowing with empathy and good.
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Steve Sostak is a fifteen year, veteran international school teacher. He is the co-founder and director of Inspire Citizens, a teacher and student empowerment collective, where he speaks, trains, coaches, collaborates and inspires like-minded educators to attain the Inspire Citizens’ core mission for attaining global competency: Is it good for kids? Is it good for the community? Is it good for the world?
email: steve@inspirecitizens.org
twitter: @inspirecitizen1