By now, all schools are back in session and you are adjusting to new students as well as new policies, colleagues, curriculum, programs, and more. We all know that teachers never stop learning, adapting, innovating, and growing because teaching is not static and change is our constant. As global educators, we understand the need to embrace change as we continue to navigate this ever-changing world for ourselves and for our students.

At this time, we are facing record heat waves, deciding who should become president of the U.S., and struggling to understand artificial intelligence. Change is our context and should become part of our instructional content. As you enter this new school year, consider the ways that you can help students to recognize, embrace (rather than fear), and effectively navigate change in their lives. They will learn by watching how you manage change in your classroom. They will learn through the characters they meet in literature and history lessons. They will learn from and with each other when space is created for discussion and sharing. In the process, students will develop the skills necessary to take into college and the workforce where they will consistently be met with changes. And they will be sharpening their skills as global citizens who welcome challenges and opportunities for growth.

Consider the ways you have changed and want to change as an educator and as a global citizen. Celebrate the changes that bring pride and accomplishment while remembering the changes that evoke a sense of loss, too. Looking back and looking forward is how we can navigate change in our world. Sankofa is an African word from the Akan tribe in Ghana that means "look to the past to inform the future." We wish this for you in this new school year -- that you bring forward the wisdom and experience of your past to help navigate change for your successful future.

Strengthen global competence in your classroom through Global Classroom Connect. This program matches each teacher and classroom with a partner in Taiwan to establish a year-long cultural exchange. Participating teachers commit to at least three exchanges throughout the year, which might be videoconferencing, letter writing, project collaboration, joint lesson implementation, or packages mailed with cultural items, arts, cards, etc. Facilitators at each grade band share lesson plans and ideas to guide you, and CGEP provides classroom resources for global education. Registered participants will meet their teaching partner at the first meeting on September 10. If you would like more information or missed the registration deadline, please contact Greg Gaiera at inittogether8@gmail.com. Don't miss this opportunity to broaden horizons for you and your students!

We look forward to joining PK-12 teachers for a full day of lesson design at the Yolo County Office of Education on September 21. We will put our global education teaching ideas into instructional plans to be shared through California Educators Together and our CGEP Resources website. Although the registration window has closed for this month's workshop, CGEP is planning to host more Lesson Design Workshops in other areas of the state. Contact Alfredo Varela for more information or to plan a workshop in your area.

Help your students' to develop and share their voices through letters written to a local elected representative that:

• explains the global issue they want them to prioritize,
• shows how it connects to their local community,
• and proposes a solution.

The Pulitzer Center wants to read and share your students' letters. Visit the Pulitzer Center website for contest details and guidelines.

Each month, we will draw the names of a few new CGEP members to highlight and send a gift. This month's drawing winners will receive a copy of the Global Book Talk selection Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life. Congratulations, Members!