As anyone involved in the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program knows, there’s a compass built in to every activity that eventually leads to a meaningful destination: The PYP Exhibition. It’s the ultimate culminating event and a public demonstration of each student’s commitment to the PYP learner profile attributes. Progressive school educational teams lean into the PYPx as their chance to promote the best outcomes among learners who are capable of showing great empathy as they learn to engage with the world around them.

Embracing the Messy Process of Activating Empathy in Middle Years Social Studies

If you happen to walk through a certain busy intersection in the American Embassy School in New Delhi, India, you might be treated to a sight that illustrates the profound value of empathy in the educational experience of young adolescents.

Taking the Pathway of Empathy to Empower Global Citizens

As a former classroom teacher who regularly tethered her instruction to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Middle School Principal Jennifer Ivory’s first administrative steps were informed by advanced concepts she developed from Inspire Citizens.

Bridging Generations: PreK students learn from community elders

Pre-Kindergarten students at Colegio Jorge Washington School (COJOWA) in Cartagena, Colombia, recently embarked on a heartwarming journey with elders in their families and community. A six-week learning unit called “How to Make the Elderly Smile” was an exploration of empathy, history, and service, culminating in a Christmas program that captured and created joy.

SL for Early Learners, Community Engm'tLeeAnne LavenderFebruary 12, 2024Wellbeing, Empathy to Impact, Early Years

5 Ways to Drive Your Global Citizenship Journey: Advice from a Deputy Head of School

Seoul Foreign School (SFS), under the leadership of Deputy Head of School Jan-Mark Sewald, has embarked on a multi-year transformative journey to integrate global citizenship principles, thanks to a strategic partnership with Inspire Citizens.

Inspiring Global Citizenship: A Journey towards Whole-School Service Learning

In January 2022, Sara Gregson took on the role of Service Learning Coordinator at the International School of Kigali (ISK) in Rwanda, excited to transform the school's approach to service learning. Working with Inspire Citizens, she has embarked on a journey to reshape the school's culture and foster a community of educators committed to service learning.

Empathy to Impact: A Journey into Upcycling and Sustainable Education

In the heart of New Delhi, India, at the American Embassy School (AES), Grade 6 teacher Rachel Pregont finished the last school year with a transformative journey with her students, diving deep into the principles of upcycling and the benefits of a circular economy. This exemplary unit, rooted in the Inspire Citizens' Empathy to Impact cycle, showcased the stages of care, aware, able, and impact, and illustrates the power of learning experiences to drive meaningful change.

GCC, Community Engm'tLeeAnne LavenderDecember 12, 2023Inclusion, Wellbeing, Empathy to Impact, Interdisciplinary

Transformative Curriculum Design in 8th grade ELA leads to active global citizenship

Two passionate educators from Frankfurt International School (FIS), Mariko Jungnitsch and Mette Sarstedt, have been on a collaborative journey to reshape their 8th-grade English Language Acquisition (ELA) curriculum. Their inspiration has been sparked by the Global Citizenship Certificate (GCC) course with Inspire Citizens.

GCC, SDGsLeeAnne LavenderNovember 28, 2023Global Citizenship, Empathy to Impact, Inclusion, Changemakers

Sustainability Education Starts in Pre-K as Students Learn About Food Waste

At the American Embassy School (AES) in New Delhi, a remarkable transformation has been taking place within the Pre-Kindergarten classrooms. Led by dedicated educators and in collaboration with Inspire Citizens, this innovative food waste project has not only changed the way young children think about waste but also fostered a deep sense of empathy and responsibility toward the environment.

Student Leadership Series Impacts 115 Youth

Inspire Citizens partnered with AISA (the Association of International Schools in Africa) in September to facilitate a 3-part student leadership series that involved 115 student leaders from dozens of AISA schools.

Student Leadership, SDGs, All-School SLLeeAnne LavenderSeptember 29, 2023Inclusion, Global Citizenship, Empathy to Impact

Preschool Students Learn about and Advocate for Water Conservation

Young learners at COJOWA (Colegio Jorge Washington in Cartagena, Colombia), are embarking on a journey to raise awareness about water conservation, and their enthusiasm is nothing short of inspiring. Partnering with Inspire Citizens, the school's preschool initiative, known as the Maternal Water Project, is making waves in early childhood education.

SL for Early Learners, SDGsLeeAnne LavenderSeptember 27, 2023Elementary School, Empathy to Impact, PYP, Wellbeing

Transforming Education through the Global Citizenship Certificate Program: A Journey of Hope

The one-year GCC program is designed to equip educators with the knowledge, tools, and mindsets needed to encourage thoughtful, innovative, and engaged global citizens in our classrooms. Modules begin by asking educators to pause and reflect, thinking about how “the way out is in” when it comes to holistic global citizenship. In this article, read about one teacher’s journey with the GCC.

GCCLeeAnne LavenderSeptember 13, 2023Empathy to Impact, Global Citizenship, Wellbeing, Changemakers

Taking the long view: Sustainability for global citizenship transformation

Many educators and leaders in international schools around the globe recognize the value and urgency of global citizenship education (GCE) and the need to empower PreK-12 students to engage in authentic community engagement and active local and global citizenship. In this article, check out Inspire Citizens’ Co-Founder Aaron Moniz’s recipe for sustainable all-school global citizenship.

Bringing international mindedness to the PYP Exhibition

2023 marked the rebirth of the Primary Years Program (PYP) Exhibition at the Canadian International School of Beijing (CIS). After three years of Covid restrictions, the grade 5 students were able to host an exhibition on campus that could be shared with parents, community members and other schools. And did CIS ever run with this opportunity!

Experiential learning: new option to engage students with eco-photography

Inspire Citizens has been offering eco-photography workshops and online courses for a few years, and this past month our facilitator Ivy Yan introduced a week-long experiential learning option through Seoul Foreign School’s (SFS) Discovery Week program.

Eco-Media, SDGsLeeAnne LavenderJune 12, 2023Global Citizenship, Wellbeing, Empathy to Impact

Grade 2 Peer Partnerships Culminate in Stories

Grade 2 students at the Colegio Jorge Washington (COJOWA) in Cartagena, Colombia recently celebrated stories with peers from a local partner school as a capstone for a peace project for narrative writing. The stories that the COJOWA and local students wrote were powerful, reflecting the deep impact of connecting with others through deep, compassionate listening.

Grade 12 Investigation leads to Long-Term Partnership

Grade 12 Social Studies and Spanish students at the Colegio Jorge Washington School (COJOWA) in Cartagena, Colombia, have created a meaningful partnership that will span multiple years. From their service learning experience in class, they have seeded a reciprocal partnership founded on deep listening and service as action.

Deep Partnerships with Local Communities: a Grade 7 Example

At the end of March, grade 7 students at the Colegio Jorge Washington School (COJOWA) in Cartagena, Colombia, embarked on a powerful learning investigation. Their goal was to learn more about SDG #5 (gender equality) in the local context; in their social studies and Spanish classes, they began reflecting, questioning and thinking about the local community. What followed was a rich learning journey involving journalism and sustainable solutions to needs related to clothing and textiles.

A Year 2 Reflection: Empathy to Impact

When Kevin David came to the American Embassy School of New Delhi (AES) in August of 2021, he took on a service learning role with the high school. The timing coincided with the second year of a partnership between AES and Inspire Citizens. In his role, Kevin has a unique vantage point to see how the partnership is growing, and how teaching and learning are being impacted.

A Grade 1 Learning Experience about Anti-Bias

In November, the grade one team at the Inter-Community School Zurich (ICSZ) embarked on an exciting journey to redesign a history unit. Working with Inspire Citizens, the team engaged in a generative process of ideation and planning that led to a vibrant outcome: Humans of ICSZ.

VIGNETTES

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