Global Matters

If ever there was a time for global education, it would be now. As educators in California recognize the value of global competence for their students, themselves, their communities, and the world, they are asking why we don't center global education in our schools and classrooms. We should not have to confront a world of chaos, conflict, injustice, and violence in order to recognize the need to teach students about empathy and compassion, human rights and dignity, or cooperation and collaboration. In most classrooms, teachers have been intentional about their goals to help students learn kindness, appreciate themselves and others, practice gratitude and respect, and develop as "good human beings." This represents the core of global education, and we are thankful for all of those teachers who bring some form of global education to their students. We are here to support you in these efforts, celebrate you for your incredibly difficult choices and work, and learn from your efforts. As we close out 2025 and look forward to a new year, please reach out to us with questions, requests, suggestions, and ideas for how we can best support you to unleash the power and potential of global education in your classroom and school community.

CGEP wishes for all of you the happiest of holidays with a well-deserved winter break.

This month, our 2025 California Global Teacher Fellows celebrated their year of learning, growth, and leadership in global education. This was the sixth cohort of Fellows to complete the one-year program of exploration and development of globally competent teaching and learning. These 13 teachers now join a growing community of PK-12 teachers from across the state who continue to provide program development, professional learning, and leadership for global education in California. This year's Fellows completed inquiry projects that included global perspectives in high school ethnic studies, integrated arts and mapmaking across the middle school curriculum, creating a regional professional learning community for global educators, aligning SDGs to high school science, anatomy, and health, and global competence in fantasy fiction studies. Some Fellows focused on leadership at the district level while others helped students upack their identities, philosophies, and community contexts for global citizenship. We look forward to following and supporting the work of Lance, Tess, Teresa, Alesa, Roxana, Shawneen, Stacey, Yesenia, Jeny, Lara, Melanie, Catherine, and Jacklyn. And we welcome the new 2026 Fellows!

We have all heard reports of a rise in anxiety, depression, and disengagement among today’s students but what can we, as educators, do about it?

In The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt explores how childhood has transformed over the past two decades. Drawing on research from psychology, neuroscience, education, and real world experiences, Haidt makes the case that these changes are deeply affecting students’ mental health, attention, resilience, and readiness to learn. The author examines the shift from play-based, face-to-face experiences to technology-based childhoods influenced by social media, constant connectivity, and reduced independence.

For teachers, this book provides a framework for a shared understanding about what we see daily in classrooms: reduced engagement, increased anxiety, and difficulty with focus. During our Global Book Talk on January 27, 2025 from 4:00-5:15, we will invite educators to:

• Reflect on how anxiety shows up in students’ behavior, learning, and relationships

• Discuss the role schools can play to foster resilience, deeper engagement, and joy

• Examine practical pedagogical and cultural shifts exemplified in the CGEP Global Competence Framework

• Engage in dialogue with colleagues to share strategies that increase engagement and focus

We will use The Anxious Generation as a catalyst for deep conversations about teaching, learning, and the needs of children today. This book talk is an opportunity to think collectively about how schools can be places where students grow academically, emotionally,and socially.

Come ready to question, connect, and consider what kind of classroom we want to grow. Register now!

Vista Charter Public Schools Elementary teacher Theresa Cao shares her inspiring journey into global education and how it has transformed her teaching as well as her students’ learning. After attending the New and Beginning Teacher Institute and the California Atlas Workshop with the California Global Education Project, she discovered that global education is far more than festivals, food, and flags — it is a way of seeing the world through multiple perspectives, reflecting on bias, and fostering positive change. Theresa highlights powerful classroom tools like the Global Book Bags, which include diverse stories, learning activities, and discussions that help students build empathy and global competence. She reminds us that global education is not an “extra thing to do,” but a lens for teaching any subject while empowering even our youngest learners to think critically, care deeply, and act justly. In a time of division, she finds hope in cultivating a new generation of compassionate, thoughtful global citizens ready to make a difference.

Consider participating in CGEP’s New & Beginning Teacher Institute (June 2026), which offers 3 days of professional learning focused on strategies, support, and inspiration for educators in their first 5 years of teaching. If you or any of your colleagues are interested in attending the summer institute, please complete this interest form to help us learn more about you and guide our planning for the institute. For more information, contact Program Director Barbara Vallejo Doten at bdoten@sandiego.edu.

Applications are now open for 2026 - 2027 Fulbright Teacher Exchanges! Apply by February 20, 2026, for Fulbright Teacher Exchanges taking place in the 2026 - 2027 academic year! Visit this website to learn more about the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program and the Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Program to determine which best fits your qualifications.

All educators are invited to join CGEP for the Global Book Club book talk on January 27th at 4:00 pm. We will meet online to discuss Jonathan Haidt's book The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. Register online at tinyurl.com/CGEPbooktalk to receive Zoom link for this 75-minute discussion about personal and professional connections to the ideas and information presented in the book. When we meet, the author's new book for younger readers will be released, The Amazing Generation: Your Guide to Fun and Freedom in a Screen-filled World, so we can talk about that version as well!