Professional Development
World Savvy offers innovative PD services on a range of global issues and methods for integrating world affairs into classroom instruction. Find out how to bring our workshops and institutes to your school today!
Sustainable Communities Professional Development Institute
New York City: October 4-5, 2012
Minneapolis: October 11-12, 2012
San Francisco: October 18-19, 2012
Global Education Resources for Educators
March 2013
The New York City Semester of Service grants is a $1,500 grant to promote academic achievement through service-learning. K-12 educators from New York City Department of Education schools are eligible to apply. Educator grantees will receive materials, resources, and ongoing consultation to develop and implement the service-learning program with their students. This program is designed to incorporate Common Core standards, and 21st Century career and workforce readiness skills.
Taking It Global Intro to Project Based Learning: An accredited course to develop teachers' understanding of and competencies in project-based global education. Begins March 30, pre-registration required.
ING Unsung Heroes Awards: Each year, 100 educators are selected to receive $2,000 to help fund their innovative class projects. Three of those are chosen to receive the top awards of an additional $5,000, $10,000 and $25,000. Due April 30.
Toyota International Teacher Program to Costa Rica is now accepting applications from teachers of grades 7 - 12. Fully-funded. Deadline May 4.
Earthwatch Fellowships enable critical partners to participate in research expeditions worldwide at little or no out-of-pocket expense. Earthwatch Fellows are emissaries of the Earthwatch mission, sharing their experiences and new knowledge with thousands of students, teachers, and colleagues upon their return. More information.
Think Tank on Global Education in the United States developed by Professor Fernando Reimers, explores the scope of global competency and analyzes effective strategies for promoting it. Learn how to develop initiatives for students in your classroom, school or district that will expand their capacity to be active global citizens. May 19 and 20 at Harvard Graduate School of Education.
2013 Educator Academy in the Amazon Rainforest takes professional development to a whole new level – out of the classroom and into the jungle. Join us in Peru and investigate the Amazon rainforest using best practice 21st century instructional models such as inquiry- based exploration, STEM education, sustainability science, and more. Return to your classroom with a new set of skills and tools that will enrich your teaching and deepen student understanding. Scholarships available!
The Levin Institute will be sharing best practices and promoting dialogue about curricular and co-curricular learning opportunities on themes of global workforce preparedness, globalization and global citizenship on May 20, 2013. The conference will highlight the achievements of the SUNY Global Workforce Project and new and related programs that strengthen campus internationalization.
GEEO is offering 23 different travel programs for the summer of 2013. The registration deadline is June 1st, but space is limited and many programs will be full well before the deadline. Educators have the option to earn graduate school credit and professional development credit while seeing the world. The trips are 8 to 24 days in length and are designed and discounted to be interesting and affordable for teachers. GEEO provides teachers educational materials and the structure to help them bring their experiences into the classroom. The trips are open to all nationalities of K-12 and university educators and administrators, as well as retired educators.
Global Classroom organizes over ten teacher training programs on a variety of relevant international topics every year. Programs include guest speakers, panelists, hands-on activities, an up-to-date resource packet, dinner, and clock hours. Participants leave with greater understanding of global issues and stronger connections to their colleagues in both the Greater Seattle community and abroad. Resource packets are published following every event and posted free online, many with STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) specific content. See our calendar for upcoming Global Classroom workshops.
How the sequester will affect international development or international policy?
By Anna Yip, World Savvy International Program Intern
The United States of America has been out of debt for one year in all of its history. In fact, money was borrowed to help fund the Revolutionary War, placing the U.S. in debt before it even became an official country. However, it is not fair to compare the debt that the nation currently owns to the initial one it held in the eighteenth century. Why? Simple: the IOU pile that we are sitting on today has increased by nearly eight-fold. Although the money we owed in 1789 would be worth more in today’s economy, roughly $900 billion, it would still quiver in the shadow of our now $16.5 trillion national debt. So, while the debt may not be anything new, its magnitude is unsettling, to say the absolute least
An attempt made by the Congress to lower our national debt was recently put into action. On March 1st, 2012, the U.S. began sequestration. Sequestration is a series of automatic cuts established to federal spending that is enforced by the Budget Control Act. It was established in 1985 in efforts to help the Congress abide by their own restrictions on deficit ceilings and spending caps. In 2011, President Obama signed in another debt ceiling raise, leaving many Republicans feeling uneasy. Their argument was that cuts needed to be implemented along with this debt ceiling raise, however bipartisan agreement was not reached on any idea on how to cut $1.2 trillion from the deficit, as demanded by the Budget Control Act. As a result, the sequestration has been put into effect. This recently-enacted sequester calls for nearly $43 billion in cuts towards defense programs, almost $29 billion in cuts towards domestic discretionary programs, just under $10 billion in cuts for Medicare, and close to $4 billion in other cuts in just this year alone. By percentage, this would affect non-defense discretionary funding by about 5%, affecting the International Affairs account which funds USAID, CDC and other key US agencies. Cuts will continue to occur until 2021, adding up to $1.2 trillion in budget cuts total.
So, how exactly will this sequester affect international development or international policy? According to the Report on Sequestration by House Appropriations Committee Democrats, risks could include reduction in HIV/AIDS treatment for 171,900 people, lost funding for food, education, and livelihood assistance for 238,500 children, and 1.2 million fewer insecticide-treated mosquito nets to prevent malaria deaths. Sadly, these risks are just a few of the many. What can we do in the U.S. to try to stop sequestration from affecting our international development or policies? If nothing is done, who will take the hardest hit? Our own nation’s debt is now threatening other people outside of our boarders. What can you do to help it?
Resources:
REPORT ON SEQUESTRATION: By House Appropriations Committee Democrats
http://democrats.appropriations.house.gov/images/Sequestration full report.pdf
ABC News: Article and video of President Obama on the sequester
Huffington Post: Article, slideshow, and video explaining sequester and possible solutions
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/01/what-is-the-sequester_n_2783917.html?#slide=more282000
Slate: Article explaining what the sequester means for American individuals
