The Global Citizenship Schools Program is a fully-funded initiative by the Global Citizenship Foundation in partnership with UNESCO MGIEP, equips schools with the resources and support to empower students as active and engaged global citizens.

The Global Citizenship Schools (GCS) program equips educators with the resources to deliver a unique six-week online Global Citizenship Course, designed by UNESCO MGIEP for learners in the age group of 12-17 years. This flexible and engaging curriculum fosters critical thinking, empathy, mindfulness, and global awareness – preparing your students to be the leaders of tomorrow.

GCS intends to create a space for educational institutions to engage with their counterparts in other countries as they work towards achieving the common purpose of enabling learners to become active and engaged young global citizens. 

Join the global network of schools and be part of a community of schools and educators driven to equip learners with thriving skills.

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Eligibility criteria

• Be a registered or accredited institution offering education to learners aged 12 to 17 years old.
• Enroll a minimum of 240* students in the learner course.
• Must commit 16-24 hours over eight weeks.
• Must be able to assign one or two educators per participating classroom.
• Access to computers/laptops/smartphones along with a stable internet connection.

^{* This criterion is waived for schools in specific cases outlined on our Help Center.}

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What do you get?

• Fully Funded Initiative i.e., there is no fee involved to participate in the course, the Global Citizenship Schools community, or the capacity building initiative dedicated to implementing the Global Citizenship Course. 
• Certificate from UNESCO MGIEP for learners who complete the course.
• Letter of Appreciation from UNESCO MGIEP to the schools that meet the success criteria. 
• The Council for Global Citizenship Education offers school and teacher recognition under the auspices of the Global Citizenship Foundation 
• A comprehensive Global Citizenship Schools Navigator and Toolkit
• A completely self-paced course available for two months 
• Program Management Tool to track team progress. 
• Access to an exclusive online community of participating school leaders and educators 
• The school profile is listed on the Special Project Website as a school fostering global citizenship. 
• Invitations to various events conducted by the Global Citizenship Foundation

‍Please note that this initiative is fully funded, and at no time will you be asked to pay any fee or charge for any service, resource, or support in implementing the Global Citizenship Schools initiative. Should any such case come to your notice, please immediately report to the Global Citizenship Foundation Secretariat via secretariat@globalcitizenshipfoundation.org.‍
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Membership Categories

The Global Citizenship Schools Program offers two membership categories, each designed to empower your school to nurture active global citizens:

Participating Schools

Ideal for: Schools seeking a high-quality, fully-funded Global Citizenship Course for their students (aged 12-17).

Benefits

• Access to UNESCO MGIEP's self-paced online curriculum.
• Comprehensive resources and support for program implementation.
• Connection to a global network of like-minded schools.
• Recognition for your commitment to global citizenship education.

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Lead Schools

Ideal for: Established schools with a strong commitment to global citizenship education and a desire to drive impact in the region.

Responsibilities

• Implement the Global Citizenship Course within your school.
• Advocate for the program and GCED (Global Citizenship Education) to other schools in your region.
• Participate in regional initiatives and knowledge sharing.

Benefits

• All the benefits of Participating Schools, plus:
• Recognition as a Lead School with a special badge and Letter of Appreciation^ from UNESCO MGIEP.
• Opportunities to influence regional education policy and shape the future of GCED.
• A platform to share your expertise and inspire other schools.

^ ^{On meeting the the implementation criteria for lead schools.}

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Which category is right for your school?

If you're looking to equip your students with the knowledge and skills to be active global citizens, then Participating School membership is a great first step.  For schools with a leadership vision and a desire to make a wider impact, Lead School status offers a unique opportunity to drive positive change in your region.

Contact us today to discuss your school's goals and explore which membership category best aligns with your vision. Use our help center to get instant answers or email us at schools@globalcitizenshipfoundation.org.

Access the Authorization Letter to the Global Citizenship Foundation as UNESCO MGIEP's trusted and authorized implementation partner here.

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About the Global Citizenship Course for Learners

The Global Citizenship course is UNESCO MGIEP's digital, self-paced, and interactive course for learners in the age group of 12 to 17 years or Grades 6-12. It aims to nurture Global Citizens who can help the world become a kinder, more peaceful, and sustainable planet for all animals, plants, and humans.

The course centers on contemporary global issues, with a focus on Global Citizenship. It is designed to enhance the learners' competencies of Empathy, Mindfulness, Compassion, and Critical Inquiry (EMC2), alongside the learner’s understanding of global citizenship themes.

Themes include Freedom, Human Migration, Governance, Citizenship Rights and Duties, Identity and Stereotypes, Violence and ways to navigate it.

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Learning Objectives

• Understand the processes of critical inquiry and using the processes in service of global citizenship.
• Develop an understanding of mindfulness, empathy, and compassion, and use these as tools to enhance one’s emotional well-being and social relationships.
• Demonstrate pro-social behavior towards others, including those belonging to a different race, ethnicity, culture, color, gender, or nationality.
• Develop an understanding of Global Citizenship.

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Course Design

The Global Citizenship course's curriculum has been designed using the Libre process. The Libre process has been designed to include the following distinct features:

• Cognitive Science and Brain Research
• Freire's 'Problem-Posing Approach'
• Digital Pedagogies and Personalized Learning Experiences

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Module Design

Each of the six modules is divided into three parts:

• Tutorial
  In the tutorial, you will learn the tools to investigate a concept. These skills will help you in the later parts of the course.
• Part 1 and Part 2
  These parts will focus on personal and global challenges and how pupils can navigate them.

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Course Pedagogy: Libre

The Libre process adopts a ‘problem-based’ approach to education as a tool that enables learners to build critical consciousness to drive ‘active’ citizenship that not only frames their identity but powers them to critically analyze and understand the systemic, cultural and physical causes and manifestations of exclusion and marginalization.

In light of advancing Social and Emotional Learning Skills (Empathy, Mindfulness, Compassion, Critical Inquiry), the Global Citizenship course is designed to be a self-paced course and, based on the Libre process, integrates the below five pedagogies that exploit the best practices of cognitive science.

• Storytelling
• Dialogue
• Inquiry
• Reflection
• Games & Gamification

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Modules

The course includes the six modules:

1. Getting Curious
   In this module, learners will begin to inquire, ask questions, and explore the power of inquiry.

2. Displacing Homes: Movement and Separation
   In this module, learners will inquire about what movement is, what does it entail, and what it may feel like.

3. Co-creating Governance: Active Citizens
   ‍In this module, learners will inquire about a nearly perfect recipe for successful governance.

4. Blurring boundaries: Citizens of the world
   In this module, learners will inquire about what it is to be a global citizen and the need for global citizenship. Learners look at the stories from the world to broaden their horizons on the constraints that people encounter.

5. Discovering Myself: Who am I?
   In this module, learners will study human behavior. Learners will understand what governs humans and inquire into who they are and what shapes them.

6. De-rooting Violence
   In this module, learners will understand the essential elements of a violent act and identify them in different scenarios. They will explore the types of violence, nature of violence, causes of violence, and triggers of violence.