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Global
Classroom
Nominate
a Teacher for the 2009 World Educator Award! As in the past, the recipient of the 2009 World Educator Award should be an outstanding Washington K-12 teacher who promotes international understanding in the classroom and contributes to the development of resources so that other educators and community members are better prepared to meet a predominant challenge of our time: to educate youth about world affairs. In other words, the Council wishes to acknowledge exceptional educators who demonstrate leadership in connecting students to the world and contribute to the development of new (and hopefully long-lasting) programs and resources that enable other teachers to do the same. Nominations should be sent to the World Affairs Council in the form of a letter by June 15th, 2009. The letter should include specific information about how the candidate contributes to the global education of local students and how he/she reaches beyond the classroom. The letter needs to include the following information about the candidate: name, school, subject taught, grades taught, address, phone number, and email address. Please send e-mail to tneighbor@world-affairs.org or snail mail to: Tese Wintz Neighbor, World Affairs Council, 2200 Alaskan Way, Suite 450, Seattle, WA 98121 The
World Affairs Council recognizes the vital role our schools play
in educating our future world citizens. We hope that you will help
us find the most deserving individual for our twelfth World Educator
Award. 2008 World Educator Award Recipient Bob Mazelow Each year, the World Affairs Council recognizes an outstanding teacher of the world, including global cultures, contemporary world issues, and world languages. With this World Educator award, the World Affairs Council acknowledges an outstanding teacher who makes significant contributions to international understanding in the classroom, and to the development of international resources for the benefit of other educators. The World Affairs Council is pleased to announce the World Educator Award recipient for the 2007-2008 school year, Bob Mazelow, from the Lakeside School. Numerous world educators were nominated by colleagues and organizations throughout the Puget Sound area. Bob stood out because he is an exceptional teacher with a strong commitment to global education. During the past thirty years, he has worked both internationally and locally to facilitate intercultural education. Bob's work began at the International School of Kenya, where in 1975 he started a US State Department-funded cultural immersion program that allowed students of the school to spend time living with Kenyan people. Through this ongoing program, students spend ten days to two weeks living in traditional villages with Masai cattle herders, Kisii farmers, and Swahili fishing families. Bob returned to Seattle in 1983 and since then (besides a three year interlude teaching in Malaysia and a one year sabbatical traveling around the world) he has been bringing the world into the Lakeside School. He has created intercultural experiences for Seattle-area students, leading trips with his wife, Kathleen Sears, to Kenya, Indonesia, and India. On these trips, students gain an appreciation and respect for their host communities, and their interest does not end with their return home. Bob's students have been motivated to support the communities they visited, fundraising for the building of a school for the Loitan Masai in Kenya, assisting the Tibetan Children's Village in India, as well as sending a young Indonesian woman through college. Bob has also developed and taught a number of elective classes for students at Lakeside including The Global Village and Africa Today. This popular course has evolved over the years due to the dynamic nature of global issues. Bob brings years of experience in intercultural education to his classroom, and has inspired countless students to become active and involved global citizens. As
Bob points out: "From a global perspective, perhaps the highest
purpose of education is to help students think for themselves and
recognize the inherent dignity and worth in all people. This transformation
of awareness comes about by exposing students to engaging, real-world
issues and providing them with meaningful intercultural connections,
both in the classroom and beyond. I have found that students are
hungry for education that is personally relevant and eager to form
human relationships. Just learning about problems can be overwhelming
and lead to a sense of despair, so it is important for teachers
to give students hope by providing them with opportunities to meet
the people impacted by these problems…Students don't want
to wait until they have graduated to make a positive difference;
they want to take action now. Finding ways to harness their idealism
in a productive manner is as important as the classroom learning." World Educator Award Recipients:
What would you do if you were Hillary Clinton? More than 200 students from across the Puget Sound region met this challenge. Each year the World Affairs Council hosts the World Citizen Essay Contest for Washington State students in third through twelfth grades. The goal of the World Citizen Essay Contest is to promote discussion among students, teachers, families, and community members about the ways that individuals can effect positive change in the global community. The question for the 2009 World Citizen Essay Contest was: "Imagine that you are Hillary Rodham Clinton, the new U.S. Secretary of State and head of the U.S. Department of State, whose mission is to create a more secure, democratic, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community. Describe one international issue you think is important today. Why do you think this issue is important to both the U.S. and the world? Considering the mission of the U.S. Department of State, what would you do about this issue?" The question for the 2008 World Citizen Essay Contest was: "In April, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama (1989 Nobel Prize winner for Peace) will journey to Seattle to discuss and celebrate compassion in action with Seattle-area youth, educators, and policy makers. Definition: 'Compassionate acts are generally considered those which take into account the suffering of others and attempt to alleviate that suffering as if it were one’s own.' (From Wikipedia - as cited by the organization Seeds of Compassion) A) Considering the definition above, identify an individual who has been moved by compassion to take action on a problem. Describe his or her work. How did he or she demonstrate compassion? B) Now, imagine yourself as an adult. Following in this individual’s footsteps, what international issue would you want to tackle? Why is this issue important? What steps might you take to resolve the issue? Why does this issue awaken compassion in you?" The question for the 2007 World Citizen Essay Contest was: "The President of the United States holds a unique place as a world leader given the country's economic and military power, cultural influence, impact on the environment, role in public health, and access to technology. As such, he or she has the ability to set priorities and effect change on a global level. You have just declared that you are running for President. Describe the global issue on which you would focus your attention. Why is this issue important?" The question for the 2006 World Citizen Essay Contest was: "Imagine that you are a diplomat whose mission it is to represent a country to the world community. You and your fellow diplomats are working towards a better world for your citizens and others. Which country would you represent and what issue would you want to address? Why is this important and what are some possible solutions?" The question for the 2005
World Citizen Essay Contest was: "Imagine that you are
the new U.S. Secretary of State, head of the U.S. Department of
State, whose mission is to create a more secure, democratic,
and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and
the international community. Describe one international issue
you think is important today. Why do you think this issue is important
to both the U.S. and the world? What would you do about it?"
The question for 2004: "According
to Refugees International, there are 30 million refugees and internally
displaced people worldwide. Washington State is home to the fifth
largest refugee population in the United States. Tell us the story
of one group of people on the move: Describe what caused them to
leave their home & propose a solution that might return them
there." The question for 2003:
"If you could have a day with any world leader from the past
or present, who would it be and what would you discuss?"
The question for 2002: "If you were
a journalist on an international assignment, where would you like
to go, what issue would you cover, and why?"
Imagine yourself traveling to Turkey this summer on an-almost-expenses-paid study tour. Funded by the Turkish Cultural Foundation and administered by the World Affairs Council, this year six Puget Sound area teachers will be journeying to this fascinating land where East truly meets West. This 11-day trip will take them to Istanbul, Bursa, Kusadasi, Pamukkale, Cappadocia, Konya, and Ankara from July 13 – 24. Rob
Hallock, Sammamish High School, Bellevue School District Last summer (2008) these educators explored this exciting country: Erin
Lynch, Nathan Hale High School, Seattle Public Schools
Two years ago (2007) these four area teachers blazed the trail: Robert
Herold, Northstar Junior High |
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2009
Turkey-bound Teachers
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