World Savvy is piloting an online version of our project-based learning program, the World Savvy Challenge, this year and we're looking for educators interested in getting involved. Here is some information about the program: 

The World Savvy Challenge is a project-based learning program for middle and high school students designed to build their knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors for global competence. Through the program, students work in teams to explore an annual global theme, identify a topic and problem for further research, and develop potential solutions to their problem at the local, national and global level. Students then create a knowledge-to-action plan for how they can be involved in implementing their solution at one or more of these levels. Students also engage in collaborative discussions with peers from other schools about the pros and cons of existing solutions.  Ultimately, the program empowers students to take informed action to address 21^st century challenges locally and globally.

The new World Savvy Challenge program model draws from nine years of experience conducting youth engagement programs in San Francisco, New York, and Minneapolis-St. Paul and is based on lessons learned by World Savvy through implementation of the World Affairs Challenge in partnership with the Center for Teaching International Relations since 2002. We have listened carefully over the years to the suggestions, concerns and creative ideas that our teachers and students have offered about the program and made some exciting improvements. For those of you who have been Challenge participants for the last 9 years, the new World Savvy Challenge will maintain an emphasis on project-based learning, solution seeking and global competency, but you can expect a lot of new and improved elements in the years to come with the World Savvy Challenge!

The World Savvy Challenge model will more effectively build students knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors for global competence and facilitate classroom integration. New elements include:

• Scavenger Hunt,
• Options for online participation,
• Knowledge -to-Action components,
• A national competition for students to gain support to implement knowledge to action plans in their communities.

The World Savvy Challenge will also be more closely aligned with World Savvy’s Media & Arts Program- uniting these programs through the 2012-13 theme of Sustainable Communities. Partner educators in the Media & Arts Program and the World Savvy Challenge will have access to a two-day professional development institute, online webinars, and web-based resources to embed the theme into their curriculum cross disciplines.

I invite you to visit the World Savvy Challenge page on our website to read more about this exciting new program. If you would like to learn more about how to get involved as a participant, volunteer or supporter, please contact:

Minnesota: KK Neimann, Program Associate –  kk@worldsavvy.org

California: Taylor Watson, Program Associate –  taylor@worldsavvy.org

National: Charmagne Campbell-Patton, Program Manager – charmagne@worldsavvy.org