Needham High School Global Competence Program

©Needham Public Schools

A collaborative initiative of the Needham Education Foundation and

Needham High School

History and Links

•East Asian Study Committee•District goal - Promote Active Citizenship

•School sponsored exchanges and trips

Why Global Competence?

Students will participate in an increasinglyinterdependent world requiring:

•  Understanding of people, places and environments from many perspectives

• Skills in communicating, interacting and building relationships with people of another culture

2006 NHS Global Competence Study Committee Conclusions

A. Think globallyB. Communicate effectivelyC. Contribute responsibly

Think Globally

•Be a geographically informed person

•Understand the interdependence of the world

•Participate in international experiences

•Think about issues from a global perspective

•Evaluate information critically from various sources

Communicate Effectively

•Converse proficiently in a foreign language

•Communicate through a variety of media

Contribute Responsibly

• Build relationships with people from other cultures with respect and flexibility

• Seek knowledge to shape one’s own values

• Analyze one’s own motivation in relation to others, reflect and adjust

• Help others embrace multiple perspectives

By learning more about their world, students learn more about themselves.

• Personal growth

• Overcoming uneasiness

• Facing challenges

• Opportunity to use skills

Introducing the Needham High School Global Competence Program (GCP)!

• Achievable by all

• Encompassingwhat studentsare already doing

• Student-directed

The GCP Requirements

• Foreign travel• Foreign language

proficiency• Global service

• Global Focus Project

• GCP Résumé • Reflective essay

Students who successfully complete the above will be awarded a Certificate of Global

Competence, and graduate with distinction.

GCP International Travel Requirement

• Challenging student to step outside comfort zone and connect directly to the culture/people

• Student financial commitment encouraged

• Student involvementin planning encouraged

Foreign Language Proficiency

• World language through Level 4

• Passing grade of C or above each year

Global Service

• 1 Community Classroom credit (30 hours)

• Exposes student to another world culture

• Ideally enables student to employ foreign language skills

Global Focus Project Select an aspect of a foreign

country or region’s culture, political system, history, geography or economy to explore

Study this interest area by engaging in 3 extra-curricular activities (books, movies, cultural events, foreign cooking, lectures etc.)

• Write a 2-3 page essay on the topic, synthesizing what was learned through the extra-curricular activities

GCP Résumé

A summary of the student’s GCP related activities

GCP Reflective Essay

•250-500 words

•Reflecting upon student’s travel and/or global service experience(s)

GCP Website

•Link to the GCP website from the NHS homepage: www.nhs.needham.k12.ma.us

•All necessary forms, information sheets and approved travel program and global service lists can be downloaded from the site.