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This newsletter update contains Global Education and NCDPI reminders. As always, we encourage those of you who receive the updates to please share this issue with others who are not currently subscribed to our listserv. To receive Global Education and other NCDPI Updates, please sign up using the link NC Global Education Listerv Update and follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
 What is International Education Week?
International Education Week (IEW) began in 2000 as a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education, celebrating the benefits of education and cultural exchange around the world. In North Carolina, IEW is championed by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and its Global Education Steering Committee. Together, they highlight and support the work of educators who foster global competence, cultural understanding, and civic responsibility in classrooms across our state.
Why We Celebrate International Education Week
International Education Week (IEW) is an opportunity for schools to highlight global learning in ways that are respectful, enriching, and culturally authentic.
In North Carolina, IEW offers educators and students the chance to:
- Demonstrate global engagement, awareness, and responsiveness
- Expand interest in global issues and cross-cultural learning
- Gain new perspectives on cultures from around the world
- Learn about global education resources, recognitions, policies, and opportunities available through NCDPI
The goal is not only to build students’ global knowledge, but also to strengthen their empathy, compassion, and understanding of diverse cultures and global issues. By focusing on meaningful learning experiences, such as inquiry, global perspectives, dialogue, and real-world connections, educators help students develop the global mindsets and durable skills needed to thrive in an interconnected world.
 Meet Emily M. Burrus, French Teacher, World Language Department Chair, and Global Educator Digital Badge Earner
As part of International Education Week, we are proud to highlight the work of Emily M. Burrus, whose commitment to global learning has transformed her classroom.
She shares that global education has reshaped the purpose of language instruction:
“My students no longer see language learning as just vocabulary and grammar — they see it as a bridge to connect with people, perspectives, and cultures across the world. Through authentic global contexts, they develop empathy, curiosity, and hopefully the confidence to engage meaningfully in our interconnected world.”
Her experience earning the Global Educator Digital Badge further strengthened this mission:
“Earning the Global Educator Digital Badge provides educators with a framework to intentionally integrate global perspectives into everyday learning. It’s a powerful journey of professional and personal growth that enriches your teaching and inspires students to think critically about the world.”
Her story reflects the heart of global education in North Carolina, empowering students to be informed, compassionate, and globally engaged citizens.
#IEW2025 #NCisGlobal #SettingTheStandard
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 Strengthening Student Success Through Global Competence and
Strong Character
North Carolina’s students are growing up in a world that is more interconnected, complex, and rapidly changing than ever before. To thrive in this environment, they need the ability to understand diverse perspectives and the character to engage responsibly with them. When woven together, Global Education and Character Education help students build the skills, values, and mindsets they need for success in school, work, and life.
How Global Education & Character Education Connect
These two strands reinforce one another through:
Empathy & Social Awareness (POG)
- Learning global perspectives builds understanding of different cultures, histories, and lived experiences.
- Character Education develops compassion, cultural respect, and belonging.
Critical Thinking & Responsible Decision-Making (POG)
- Students analyze global issues, challenge assumptions, and consider multiple viewpoints.
- They learn how decisions have local and global consequences.
Collaboration & Communication (POG)
- Global learning encourages teamwork across backgrounds and identities.
- Character Education reinforces respectful dialogue and ethical interaction.
Adaptability & Resilience (POG)
- Exposure to global contexts prepares students for change and complexity.
- Character values help students navigate challenges with purpose and integrity.
View the flyer: Alignment between Character Education and Global Education.pdf
Infusing Global Education and Character Education: Engaging Turnkey Strategies for Classroom Success
Educators can start small with high-impact practices such as:
- Use "Multiple Perspectives" protocols to encourage students to analyze global events from various viewpoints.
- Facilitate student-led discussions that emphasize respectful dialogue and active listening, allowing students to express their ideas and learn from one another.
- Introduce global texts that highlight different voices and cultures, sparking curiosity and discussion.
- Connect global themes to important Character Education values like integrity, responsibility, and empathy to create meaningful connections.
- Guide students in exploring local-to-global connections, such as the effects of extreme weather, conflict resolution, access to health resources, and economic interdependence, to deepen their understanding of the world around them.
- Use maps, data, and global case studies to build inquiry and critical thinking.
These strategies not only enrich students' global learning experiences but also help them develop essential character traits.
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Infusing Global Education and Character Education: Alignment to the New NC Strategic Plan
The infusion of Global Education and Character Education directly supports the statewide vision outlined in Achieving Educational Excellence. By prioritizing global competence, ethical reasoning, and strong interpersonal skills, districts can help create informed, engaged, and future-ready students.
Schools implementing this approach strengthen learning environments, enhance student outcomes, and build strong foundations for workforce readiness.
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Infusing Global Education and Character Education: The 2025 NCDPI Institute on Global Perspectives
The NCDPI Global Education Committee’s Institute on Global Perspectives: Infusing Character Education into Global Learning took place this past April at the Friday Institute in Raleigh, NC. This statewide professional learning experience encouraged educators to:
- Explore global issues through multiple perspectives
- Learn classroom-ready strategies for integrating global learning and character development
- Make connections to:
- Global Educator Digital Badge
- Global Ready Schools/Districts
- Social Studies, Literacy, Arts, STEM, CTE, and World Languages
Educators left the Institute with tools, confidence, and models that could transform their classroom discussions, elevate student engagement, and deepen learning.
Stay tuned for details about the next Institute on Global Perspectives.
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Meet Tim Hall, K-12 Social Studies Instructional Coordinator, Vance County Schools, and 2024 Global Educator Digital Badge Earner
As we celebrate International Education Week, we recognize Tim Hall, whose leadership has contributed to strengthening global learning districtwide, including his role as a presenter at NCDPI’s Institute on Global Perspectives in April 2025.
He shares that global education has profoundly shaped his instructional lens:
“Global education has deepened my practice of reflecting diverse values and voices. When students engage global and cultural diversity through inquiry, they learn to think critically, empathize deeply, and act responsibly in a complex world. They begin to see themselves not just as learners of a global perspective, but as participants in the shared human story.”
For him, the Global Educator Digital Badge represents both professional challenge and purposeful growth:
“Earning the Global Educator Digital Badge invites teachers to reimagine their work as both intellectual and global leadership. It provides a framework for designing inquiry that honors identity, elevates diverse perspectives, and connects classrooms to the wider world. Most importantly, it helps us prepare students to engage the global community with wisdom, compassion, and purpose.”
His work reflects the core mission of global education in North Carolina: preparing students to explore, understand, and contribute meaningfully to an interconnected world.
#IEW2025 #NCisGlobal #SettingTheStandard
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Are you interested in earning the Global Educator Digital
The NCDPI Global Educator Digital Badge (GEDB) process gives NC educators a streamlined path to recognition for global education work. The updated GEDB process simplifies earning the badge while aligning it with 6 Professional Teaching Standards.
The Global Educator Digital Badge (GEDB) provides an opportunity for educators to focus their teaching and professional learning on a global context and understanding of how to integrate global education throughout curricula. It also provides the opportunity for educators to demonstrate how they build global competency in students.
The State Board of Education has approved the North Carolina Global Educator Digital Badge (GEDB) is available for the following educator categories:
- Teacher
- Teacher Leadership Specialist
- Library Media Coordinator
- Instructional Technology Facilitator
- School Counselor
- Career Development Coordinator
- School Social Worker, School Psychologist
- Speech-Language Pathologist
- Instructional Central Office Staff
- Principal/Assistant Principal
- Superintendent
To learn more, please access the following resources about earning the GEDB:
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Watch the video below to learn from other GEDB Earners about how you can benefit from earning the Digital Badge and how global education has impacted
their teaching and students.
Connect with us during International Education Week
and throughout the year!
The NC Global Education Steering Committee is excited to announce that we are now on Instagram and Facebook!
Follow us to stay inspired and informed about International Education Week and all things Global Education-related by following us on:
Together, we can prepare NC students for success in a global society!
Disclaimer Statement
Because North Carolina is a local-control state, all curricular decisions are approved at the local level. Prior to implementing any of the materials, teachers should follow appropriate policies and procedures to have content vetted and approved by their school and district leaders.
The links on this resource could bring you to third-party websites, owned and operated by independent parties over which NCDPI has no control. Any link you make to or from these 3rd Party Websites will be at your own risk. Any use of these 3rd Party Websites and any information you provide will be subject to and governed by the terms of the 3rd Party Website, including those relating to confidentiality, data privacy, and security.
Unless otherwise expressly agreed in writing, NCDPI is not in any way associated with the owner or operator of any of the 3rd Party Websites or responsible or liable for the goods and services offered by them or for anything in connection with such 3rd Party Websites. NCDPI does not endorse and makes no warranties, representations, or undertakings relating to the content of any 3rd Party Website.
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