150 teachers and close to 4,000 high school students will participate in the new AFS Effect+ for the Classroom program delivered by AFS Intercultural Programs and its national organizations in Brazil, Colombia and New Zealand. AFS Effect+ for the Classroom will equip teachers to introduce students to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and develop lifelong intercultural skills to make progress toward these goals.
AFS is proud to partner with The Cyril Taylor Charitable Foundation that provided generous grant funding for AFS Effect+ for the Classroom. Named after the late Sir Cyril Taylor, founder and chairman of American Institute For Foreign Study, the foundation is dedicated to supporting intercultural and international education initiatives.
As global skills—like understanding different perspectives, critical thinking, empathy, and collaborative solution-finding—are increasingly recognized as essential parts of education, this requires teachers, too, to have these competencies. AFS created AFS Effect+ for the Classroom to prepare teachers to empower their students to become active global citizens who have these abilities and ignite positive social impact in their local communities.
Introducing high school students to intercultural skills and global issues improves their communication and collaboration skills, and helps them better understand how they can have a role as active global citizens. This program is comprised of three parts:
- a toolkit with interactive education and changemaking activities for secondary level teachers to integrate Global Citizenship Education into their teaching practices;
- a blended learning teacher training program, including the AFS Global Competence Certificate, to prepare educators to bring Effect+ workshops to their classrooms, and
- the Sir Cyril Taylor Young Leaders Awards that will recognize the top social impact projects created by the students and teachers that participate in this program.
William L. Gertz, trustee of The Cyril Taylor Charitable Foundation and Chairman of the American Institute For Foreign Study, says the foundation is proud to be supporting AFS Effect+ for the Classroom and is looking forward to seeing the benefits it will bring to teachers who are taking part and the students they will reach: “The importance of the work AFS is doing to educate students and teachers about international education is critical, especially during these trying times. We are excited to participate in this worthy endeavor. ”
“Global citizenship is no longer optional. Educating more young people to become global citizens is crucial in times like these, and it matters for the future of humanity. We are grateful to work with The Cyril Taylor Charitable Foundation to ensure more schools and teachers are equipped to engage their students with global and intercultural issues,” adds Daniel Obst, President and CEO at AFS Intercultural Programs.
AFS Effect+ for the Classroom is based on the successful AFS Effect+ Program that has already introduced close to 10,000 young people to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and empowered them to help advance these goals in their communities.
Interested teachers in the participating countries will be able to join the AFS Effect+ for the Classroom program beginning in November 2020, while the Sir Cyril Taylor Young Leaders Awards will be held in June 2021. For more information, please contact Ana Carolina Cassiano, Head of Educator & School Relations at AFS Intercultural Programs.
About The Cyril Taylor Charitable Foundation
The Cyril Taylor Charitable Foundation supports charitable institutions to advance the education of Richmond University (UK) students and charities for intercultural education and international education and children in care.
About AFS Intercultural Programs
AFS Intercultural Programs develops active global citizens committed to making the world a better place. Through our international exchange programs, education initiatives, volunteerism and advocacy, we empower young people from all backgrounds with essential global skills—and the passion for making a difference. AFS Intercultural Programs leverages the power and reach of 50+ National AFS Organizations working together to accelerate the local, global and collective impact of our 105-year not-for-profit. www.afs.org