Building a global school requires vision, knowledge, and a dedicated team. How can you and your colleagues initiate or progress in this rewarding endeavor? Drawing on decades of experience conducting global and multicultural professional development for educators, as well as input from teachers and administrators across the country, Primary Source presents here a synthesis of our thinking about this work. Each document is available for download below.

Our Unique Approach: We view the development of global competency, cultural responsiveness, and skills for today’s world as mutually reinforcing aspects of an education that prepares students for the world. While these aspects are often treated as distinct, we view them as intertwined and equally valuable – and design our programs and curricular resources to model their compatibility.

Elements of a Global School: What does it mean to think holistically and systemically about global schools? In this document, we demonstrate how educators attend to four domains of action: curriculum, institutional practices, professional development, and school culture. We illustrate how to bring each of these domains to life on a practical level by identifying a range of exemplary practices in which global schools engage. Use this document to aid in your school’s self-assessment and reflection, or for ideas.

Steps for Globalizing Your School: Schools have their own individual pathways to becoming global, but most engage in certain core practices. What are these? And what questions might a school want to ask each step of the way? This document provides guidance for getting started.

Primary Source also offers customized consulting services to help schools and school districts advance their global and cultural education goals. Click here to learn more about our consulting services.