Nov. 17, 2014
International Education Week is a week-long event celebrated by over 100 countries around the world. It is an initiative under the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada and is recognized by other provincial/territorial governments and various non-governmental organizations active in international education.
At the Calgary Board of Education, we have multiple ways for our students and staff to engage globally through curriculum, language and culture learning, international travel and exchange, and social action projects.
“For us, supporting international education is not just for one week out of the year. It is part of who we are and what we do each and every day,” says Sheila McLeod, Director of Global Learning. “This week enables us to focus on some of the ways that we are infusing a global perspective into our learning and teaching.”
We provide a variety of opportunities to engage with other learners from around the world. These include an International Student Program with more than 800 participants, an International Certificate where students are asked to focus their studies and filter classroom assignments through an international lens, and partnerships with educational institutions around the globe.
For example, several French Immersion junior high schools have partnered with classrooms and students through the Academy of Besançon in France. This relationship has developed into an opportunity for authentic language and cultural exchange for both French and Canadian students.
“We are proud to have a school system that recognizes the importance of developing our young global citizens and ensuring that they have the cross cultural competencies and worldmindedness necessary to live, work and thrive in the world of today,” says McLeod.
For more information about International Education Week visit: http://www.education.alberta.ca/students/internationaleducation/intedweek.aspx
