In countries across the globe there are daily reminders of the divisions between different groups of people – from racial tensions to prejudice against minorities, immigrants and refugees. Unfortunately, the explicit and implicit biases that feed such negative intergroup relations start young.
The Globe Smart Kids uniquely authentic approach to global education is designed to encourage feelings of interaction and familiarity between children, believing that they will be kinder, wiser, and happier because they know more about the globe we share.
Globally competent children have diverse friends and these friendships lead them to be more empathetic, better able to understand another’s perspective, and more likely to make decisions not influenced by explicit or implicit bias.
Our One Globe Kids program is offered to children worldwide, in English, French and Dutch, to use at home and in school, through multiple channels: currently iPad, iphone and internet browsers.
We travel the world to visit real children and their families and spend multiple days recording their story. Each story is developed to help kids draw connections between their life and that in other countries. With the help of technology, children can experience these stories from around the globe, told child-to-child with full-color photographs.
Each story and its accompanying features are designed to create a feeling of proximity between the user and their new friend, making each visit feel like a pretend play date. Children can record themselves speaking new languages. Each friend teaches basic phrases and counting in their own language. Share your own story and listen to your recorded conversation.
Our materials integrate ELA requirements with global smartness. The teacher support materials provide conversation starters, background information, activities, and a list of questions to help students recall key details and relate them to their own lives. Combining stories, lessons, activities, and these supports will help the youngest global citizens feel capable and confident to work with people outside of their comfort zone.