Work that Demonstrates Global Competence
Please submit student work that demonstrates Global Competence: the knowledge, skills, and disposition
to understand and act creatively and innovatively on issues of global significance (issues that are global
in scope or important local issues that are faced by others in the world). Examples of such issues are:
■■ Environmental sustainability.
■■ Population growth.
■■ Economic development.
■■ Global conflict and cooperation.
■■ Health and human development.
■■ Human rights.
■■ Cultural identity and diversity.
Students should investigate a specific problem or opportunity related to one of these issues or another critical global issue that is
meaningful to them. The work should show how students:
■■ Investigate the world beyond their immediate environment.
■■ Recognize their own and others’ perspectives.
■■ Communicate their ideas effectively and with diverse audiences.
■■ Translate their ideas and findings into appropriate actions to improve conditions.
The resulting work may be created for a variety of purposes: to analyze, describe, critique, explain, persuade, tell a story, express
an opinion, offer an artistic interpretation, and so on.
The work can take a variety of forms, such as:
■■ Written document (e.g., report, essay, story, screenplay, op-ed, poetry).
■■ Multimedia work (e.g., photo essay, short video, PowerPoint).
■■ Art of design (e.g., painting, sculpture, architectural design).
The Global Competence Matrix provides more detail on these elements.
Global Competence Matrix
INVESTIGATE
RECOGNIZE
COMMUNICATE
TAKE
THE WORLD
PERSPECTIVES
IDEAS
ACTION
Students investigate the
Students recognize their
Students communicate
Students translate their
world beyond their
own and others’
their ideas effectively with
ideas and findings into
immediate environment.
perspectives.
diverse audiences.
appropriate actions to
improve conditions.
Students:
Students:
Students:
Students:
Identify an issue, generate
Recognize and express
Recognize and express how Identify and create
a question, and explain the
their own perspective on
diverse audiences may
opportunities for personal
significance of locally,
situations, events, issues,
perceive different
or collaborative action to
regionally, or globally
or phenomena and identify
meanings from the same
address situations, events,
focused researchable
the influences on that
information and how that
issues, or phenomena in
questions.
perspective.
affects communication.
ways that improve
Use a variety of languages
Examine perspectives of
Listen to and communicate
and domestic and
other people, groups, or
effectively with diverse
Assess options and plan
international sources and
schools of thought and
people, using appropriate
actions based on evidence
media to identify and
identify the influences on
verbal and nonverbal
and the potential for
weigh relevant evidence to
those perspectives.
behavior, languages, and
impact, taking into account
strategies.
previous approaches,
conditions.
address a globally
significant researchable
Explain how cultural
question.
interactions influence
Select and use appropriate
situations, events, issues,
technology and media to
Analyze, integrate, and
or phenomena, including
communicate with diverse
Act, personally or
synthesize evidence
the development of
audiences.
collaboratively, in creative
collected to construct
knowledge.
coherent responses to
varied perspectives, and
potential consequences.
and ethical ways to
Reflect on how effective
contribute to improvement
globally significant
Articulate how differential
communication affects
locally, regionally, or
researchable questions.
access to knowledge,
understanding and
globally and assess the
technology, and resources
collaboration in an
impact of the actions
Develop an argument
affects quality of life and
interdependent world.
taken.
based on compelling
perspectives.
evidence that considers
Reflect on their capacity to
multiple perspectives and
advocate for and
draws defensible
contribute to improvement
conclusions.
locally, regionally, or
globally.
For a copy of the Global Competence Matrix you can print, please Download the PDF. For a copy of the
Global Competence Content-Area Matrices you can print, please Download the PDF.
Who Should Submit Work?
EdSteps seeks samples of writing from authors of all ages, including:
■■ From students in early childhood and elementary, middle, high school and from college and graduate
students.
■■ From individuals in the workplace.
■■ From teachers of all subject areas.
■■ For any audience or purpose, both within the United States and globally.
■■ In any form, genre, or media.
Building a Continuum of Student Work Demonstrating Global
Competence
Once enough work samples are collected, the samples will be evaluated by readers from across the country using the Global
Competence Matrix. We invite you to help us build the continuum by participating as a reader when the work samples are available
later this year.
Note that when you submit, you will need contact information for the author's parent or guardian, if the author is under the age of 18.
For a copy of the permission slip you can print, please click here. You will also be asked a few simple questions about each piece of
work, a copy of which can be downloaded here.
Why Global Competence?
Teaching and assessing student work that addresses issues of global significance — around the world or
in students’ own backyards — are essential to a world-class education system. The global marketplace is
real, and today’s schools must prepare students to participate, interact, and thrive in it. The more our
students know about recognizing the challenges and opportunities of an interconnected world, the better
they will be able to work in it and improve it. Our students’ well-being, the vitality of our communities, and
the welfare of our nation depend on it.
Resources for Global Competence:
Here are a few helpful resources related to Global Competence.
Reach the World
Reach the World (RTW) is a unique nonprofit organization with the mission of linking students and
teachers to online, global journeys that have the power to expand learning beyond the four walls of the
classroom.
Primary Source
Primary Source promotes history and humanities education by connecting educators with people and
cultures throughout the world.
Global Youth Leadership Institute
GYLI delivers transformative educational programs that foster global pluralism, collaborative leadership,
and environmental care and that help students and teachers become fully engaged citizens of the world
Facing the Future
Facing the Future engages students in learning by making academics relevant to their lives. We empower
students to think critically, develop a global perspective, and participate in positive solutions for a
sustainable future.
MHz Networks
MHz Networks is an independent, non-commercial television broadcaster delivering international,
educational programming and providing diverse cultural perspectives for a globally-minded audience.
World Savvy
World Savvy is a global education nonprofit serving youth and educators through three core programs in
three offices nationwide. Their mission is to educate and engage youth in community and world affairs, to
prepare them to learn, work and live as responsible global citizens in the 21st century.
Creative Change
Creative Change Educational Solutions (CCES) is a nonprofit organization advancing educational
leadership and transformation through a lens of sustainability. CCES helps educational institutions use
renewable energy, brownfields redevelopment and other sustainability sectors as platforms for
instructional innovation and delivering on the promise of educational equity.