Global Digital Education Leaders Convene in Paris to Define and Evaluate Student Outcomes
October 23, 2017, Paris – Embracing a global competency agenda —integrating new concepts and skills into school curricula to give students the skills and the habits of mind they need to be successful in tomorrow’s workforce and the global future—is the topic of today’s symposium sponsored by Global Cities, Inc., A Program of Bloomberg Philanthropies. Global Cities is hosting the conference in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which will start testing for global competence among 15-year-olds in 80 countries in its 2018 PISA exams. The conference is also a side event of this year’s Paris CityLab meetings.
Michael R. Bloomberg, three-term Mayor of New York City and philanthropist, opened the meeting, highlighting “the critical need to give students the ability to interact with and understand different cultures.” Bloomberg emphasized that “all the big challenges facing our world are global: fighting climate change, defeating terrorism and food insecurity, reducing poverty, preparing students for success in a changing economy. The more we work together, across borders, the faster we can make progress on all these challenges.”
In its fifth year of operation, Global Cities is a leader in global learning and international digital exchange. This year, more than 11,000 students, ages 10 to 13, in 26 countries are participating in its programs. Participants in today’s meeting, Students and the Global Edge: Evaluating the Global Education Experience, are previewing a white paper identifying measurable student outcomes. The work draws on several years of significant experience in its Global Scholars program.
Marjorie B. Tiven, Founder and President of Global Cities, Inc., delivered the charge to the meeting’s 60 attendees in opening the event: “We need to develop students’ abilities to solve complex problems. Global learning—appreciation for diversity, cultural understanding, global knowledge, global engagement—is an important part of what our schools have to teach. Our schools need to ready students to become thoughtful stewards of the human future.” Tiven added her gratitude to the many global learning leaders and organizations sharing Global Cities’ dedication to preparing students for their roles as world citizens.
Symposium participants include Sir Michael Wilshaw, formerly Chief Inspector of Schools in England and former head of the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted); Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director of Education and Skills; Ester R. Fuchs, Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University; Tony Travers, Director of Government at the London School of Economics; and Morris J. Vogel, former president of New York’s Lower East Side Tenement Museum.
Educators from 14 countries are joining symposium participants for a thoughtful discussion on best practices for defining and evaluating student outcomes in global competence and the field of international digital exchange.
About Global Cities, Inc.:
Global Cities, Inc., A Program of Bloomberg Philanthropies, works to cultivate the next generation of global citizens and to improve how cities across the world connect and communicate. Its signature program Global Scholars connects more than 11,000 students ages 10 to 13 to one another through a shared original curriculum and a secure e-classroom. There is no charge to schools for participation in Global Scholars. For more information, please visit www.globalcities.org. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @GlobalCitiesOrg.
About Bloomberg Philanthropies:
Bloomberg Philanthropies works in more than 120 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s charitable activities, including his foundation and his personal giving. In 2016, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed over half a billion dollars. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter @BloombergDotOrg.
Contacts:
About Global Cities, Inc. and Global Scholars, Meg Louis, +212‐618‐6345, mlouis@globalcities.org
About Bloomberg Philanthropies, Rebecca Carriero +212‐205‐0182, rebeccac@bloomberg.org