AFS Intercultural Programs is offering a unique opportunity for 300 high-school teachers from anywhere in the world to join an international capacity-building program and earn the AFS Global Competence Certificate at no charge thanks to partnership with the Cyril Taylor Charitable Foundation. This 8-month-long flexible online program is called AFS Effect+ for the Classroom Program and it includes:
- Global Up Educators, a 6-week virtual learning certification which includes self-paced video modules, facilitated live sessions, discussion forums and quizzes.
- An Educator Toolkit with step-by-step instructions for lesson plans, learning goals, discussion guides, activity sheets, and all supporting materials.
- Tools for self-reflection and connection with teachers in a global community to share experiences and best practices.
- The opportunity to get international recognition for a social impact project developed by students with their teachers’ guidance for the 2025 Cyril Taylor Young Leaders Awards.
No matter which subject you teach, the AFS Effect+ for the Classroom Program will help you develop cultural self-awareness, empathy for other cultures, and ways to build bridges in multicultural classrooms. You will also learn about key concepts and principles of Global Citizenship Education, and how to foster it with your students. More than 1,000 teachers from 65 countries have already completed this program.
“This was an amazing program that brought a positive change in my outlook towards environment and relations with people. The program has provided a deeper insight into society and broadened my outlook.“—Teacher in India (2023-24 Participant)
What This Program Is All About
The AFS Effect+ for the Classroom Program will support teachers as they learn to become Globally Competent themselves and then how to develop Global Competence in their students.
During this program, participants will:
- Explore different views, cultures and ways of life in a collaborative virtual learning environment
- Make local and global connections with other educators interested in Global Citizenship Education
- Experience different training and teaching styles
- Earn a certificate of completion indicating the number of hours of engagement
The program will cover topics such as empathy and active listening, addressing stereotypes, communication styles, dealing with conflict, avoiding microaggressions, 21st century-skills, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and Globally Competent Teaching.
“The lesson plans provided are so helpful. The program itself assisted me in many ways. For example, it put me ahead of the new curriculum introduced in my country. Through the Effect+ program I became familiar with the pedagogy required to implement the new curriculum.“—Teacher in Ghana (2023-24 Participant)
How to Apply?
Interested teachers can apply via this form by Sunday, 13 October 2024. All educators will be notified of their acceptance by late October 2024 via email.
Applicants should meet the following requirements:
- Must currently serve as a high school (secondary) teacher for 14-18-year-old students.
- Proficiency/Fluency in English to communicate with teachers from other countries in discussion forums and dialogue sessions (written content and video modules are also available in Spanish),
- Commit to taking part in the following program activities between 26 October 2024 and 7 June 2025:
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- Complete the Global Up Educators program including viewing all video modules, reading articles, taking brief quizzes, sharing in the online discussion forum, and joining 75% of the facilitated live sessions (~2-3 hours per week for 6 weeks between 26 October 2024 and 15 March 2025, depending on cohort)
- Use at least one of the activities from the Educator Toolkit with your students (between January 2025-June 2025)
- Join opportunities for engaging with peers in virtual communities of practice (flexible, depending on your needs and interest between January and June 2025).
For more information, please contact Dylan Peterson ([email protected]), Effect + for the Classroom Project Coordinator at AFS Intercultural Programs.