Global Competency: Building Understanding of Global Issues

Imagine a classroom filled with curious minds, eager to learn and explore the world around them. Now pause and consider: how much do your students know about what’s happening beyond their community?

Expanding students’ understanding begins with helping them connect to their local community and the world beyond it. Students who develop a deeper awareness of global challenges are better equipped to navigate a complex world and think critically about their role in it. The Global Leaders framework prepares students for the modern workforce by integrating global topics, current events, and key competencies into school priorities.

But how can schools incorporate global learning across grade levels, subjects, and school-wide activities in a meaningful way? And what skills and attitudes should students develop along the way?

To help answer these questions, Participate Learning has identified ten global competencies that empower learners to pay attention to the world, feel connected, and take action to create positive change. This post focuses on the fifth global competency: understanding global issues.

Introducing Students to Global Challenges

Students who understand the causes, effects, and connections between global challenges are poised to become problem-solvers and innovators. This awareness helps students develop critical thinking and higher-order reasoning skills they will need throughout their lives.

For example, Kate Strein, a teacher at Jupiter Middle School in Florida, guided her students through an exploration of hunger around the world. They examined the root causes, such as economic hardship and displacement due to conflict, drawing connections between complex issues.

This approach helped Strein’s students develop empathy and a deeper understanding of the issue. They applied their critical thinking skills to brainstorm potential solutions, showing how awareness of global issues can inspire creative problem-solving.

Using Action-Driven Learning to Explore Global Issues

Engaging students in projects that address challenges relevant to their lives fosters a deeper understanding of global issues. Problem-based learning connects students to real-world challenges, helping them see how their actions can drive meaningful change.

Connecting local challenges to broader global themes builds relevance for students and keeps them engaged. For instance, at West Oxford Elementary, a Global Leaders school, teachers noticed that many students and families in their community lacked access to fresh produce. They created a community garden to address this need, providing free fruits and vegetables to those who need them.

By tying local efforts to broader global themes, such as food security and community sustainability, teachers helped students connect their actions to larger challenges.

How Global Leaders Builds Awareness of Global Issues

When students are encouraged to apply their learning to real-world situations and design thoughtful solutions, they begin to consider how they can use their future careers to create positive change.

The Global Leaders framework prepares students to address the complexities of the modern world by fostering action-driven learning. Through these experiences, students are inspired to lead, think critically, and take steps toward a better future.

Empowering Students Through Global Learning

Helping students understand global challenges is a powerful way to prepare them for the future. A global perspective supports academic growth, career readiness, and student engagement, equipping students with the tools to thrive in today’s interconnected world.

Stay tuned for upcoming posts that explore other global competencies. Share how you’re helping your students understand global challenges by using #UnitingOurWorld. With Global Leaders, students experience learning that goes beyond mastering academic skills—they develop ideas and solutions that can make a real difference.