|
International Education Week 2002 is the third annual commemoration of this important aspect of American education and a reminder of the impact of international affairs in daily life. It is a joint venture of the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of State. International Education Week promotes programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and that attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences with Americans in our country. Participation is encouraged from any individuals and organizations interested in international education and exchange, including schools, colleges and universities, local and state agencies, embassies, international organizations, businesses, associations, and community organizations. The theme of International Education Week 2002 is "Securing the Future Through Study and Exchange," and the goals include renewed efforts to study foreign languages and cultures and to provide opportunities for all students to increase their knowledge of the world. For more information, visit the International Education Week home page at http://exchanges.state.gov/iew/.
U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige has issued a statement inviting students, parents, and educators to actively participate in commemorating International Education Week. The Secretary emphasizes that an increased understanding of world affairs, cultures, and languages is an important part of every American's responsibility to be an individual ambassador to the world and to have the knowledge and skills necessary to success in a global context. Secretary Paige suggests several examples of participatory activities including supporting an international pen-pal program in a school, inviting speakers to share international experiences, asking mayors and governors to issue proclamations, encouraging the study of foreign languages and cultures, and ensuring that an international perspective is brought into the curriculum and every classroom. Parents can help by ensuring that their children receive a solid foundation in the cultural, linguistic, and other skills they will need for success in the future.
U.S. Under Secretary of Education Eugene W. Hickok has invited America's school principals to participate in International Education Week 2002 by developing concrete plans for how their schools can raise student awareness of the importance of learning about other countries, cultures, languages, and international issues. Celebrations of International Education Week can involve such activities as highlighting successful local programs; partnering with local colleges, universities, and organizations; organizing Thanksgiving gatherings to bring local international and American students together; library displays highlighting foreign authors and international topics; sponsoring a "world geography bee;" urging local and state leaders to commemorate International Education Week; and many other possibilities that creative teachers and school leaders may develop.
Activities Scheduled to Commemorate International Education Week 2002
Embassy Forum on World Languages and International Studies, September 23-24
The first meeting to bring together state education officials and foreign embassy education counselors to discuss ways to promote foreign language and international studies and exchanges. A directory of opportunities for educators made available through states and foreign embassies, developed for this meeting, can be downloaded as Word or PDF files. International Education Week 2002 Washington Kickoff Event, November 18
Cosponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, the Office of Education, Smithsonian Institution, the Freer Gallery of Art, and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. The event will be a professional development seminar on strategies for examining world religions through art and history, and will demonstrate how museums can aid educators in instruction. Friendship Through Education First Anniversary Celebration and New Project Launch, November 19
The Friendship Through Education Consortium is a partnership initiative of the White House, the Department of Education, and private organizations to build awareness and educational links between the United States and other countries, with special focus on those with predominantly Muslim populations. A reception will be held from 5:30-8:00 p.m., Tuesday, November 19, 2002, in the Department of Education Auditorium (400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC). Representatives from embassies, the media, partner organizations, and American school classes linked with classes in Muslim countries have been invited. The event is cohosted with i*EARN, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to enable students to use technology to engage in collaborative projects worldwide promoting Friendship Through Education. A New Vision of Citizenship: A U.S.-U.K. Dialogue on Encouraging Young People to become Engaged in their Communities, November 20-22
Cosponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, the United Kingdom Department of Education and Skills, the British Embassy, and the British Council. The Dialogue will take place in Washington, DC and its themes will include helping students to develop a sense of civic responsibility, become involved in their communities, and achieve political literacy. States Institute on International Education in the Schools, November 20-22
Cosponsored by the Asia Society, Council of Chief State School Officers, Education Commission of the States, and the National Governors Association. The Institute will consist of a series of expert presentations and workshops designed to inform educators about the economic and geopolitical trends influencing state and national policy, as well as opportunities - through professional development, curriculum standards and designs, and instructional technology--to engage students, the public, the media, school partnerships, and philanthropic organizations in promoting international studies.
Archive of previouw What's New postings
This page last modified—June 22, 2006 (jer).
|
