Global Classroom
School Programs

Jump to:
Capitol Forum | Classroom Speakers | Other Programs

The Capitol Forum program, developed by Brown University in Rhode Island, engages high school Social Studies students and teachers in discussion of our nation's future in the changing international environment. The program involves students both within their Social Studies classroom and beyond the classroom at their state capitol.

The World Affairs Council - Global Classroom hosted this program in Washington State for the first time in 2004-2005, with the sponsorship of the Office of Secretary of State.

• Read the Letter (PDF) from Secretary Sam Reed.
• See Capitol Forum on America's Future 2005 in Pictures.
• Read the Future 5s written by Washington students.

During Summer, 2005, Dr. Michele Anciaux Aoki presented a workshop on this program at the 2005 OSPI Summer Institutes. You can download handout materials at Engaging Students and Building Skills Through Capitol Forum on America's Future.

For more information about the 2006-2007 Capitol Forum, visit http://internationaledwa.org/capitolforum/ or http://www.choices.edu/capitol_forum/.

 

Classroom Speakers

World Affairs Council encourages international and internationally engaged residents of the Puget Sound area participate in school visits and share their knowledge of countries, cultures, or international topics with students of all ages and educational backgrounds. Speakers may include international students, Fulbright scholars, returned Peace Corps volunteers, local business people, and more.

We provide forms and resources to help you arrange arrange a classroom visit:

JAPANESE AMERICAN CLASSROOM SPEAKERS Read about our school programs and Speakers Bureau: The Price of Freedom: Learning about the Japanese American Experience in World War II.

You can download informational packets and evaluation forms here:
(Note: All are MS Word documents and open in a new window.)

• For International Speakers: Preparing for a School Visit (Word)
• For Teachers: Preparing for an International Visitor (Word)
• For the School: Student Evaluation Form (Word)
• For the School: Teacher Evaluation Form (Word)
• For the Speaker: Speaker Evaluation Form (Word)

Global Classroom has been involved in a number of school-based programs over the years. To learn more, visit:

• Model UN
• World Affairs Challenge

The World Affairs Challenge is an academic program for Middle School students focusing on international relations. Each year has a unique theme which challenges students to understand the complexities of international problems and decision-making.

Following the great success of the 2004 World Affairs Challenge with the theme "Rights of the Child," World Affairs Council Global Classroom sponsored the World Affairs Challenge for a second year in 2005, with the theme "Global Energy: Empowering the Future."

The highlight of the World Affairs Challenge is the final day of competition, where teams of students make creative presentations of their research, take the Global Awareness Quiz, and apply what they have learned in order to solve an international problem in the Collaborative Question. In 2005, teams had creative and innovative ways of presenting their research, even using song and dance to communicate their ideas.

• Read the lyrics of "Biomass Blues," (PDF) a song written and performed by a team from Chief Kanim Middle School at the 2005 Challenge.
• Take the Global Awareness Quiz for 2005 (PDF). (If you would like the answers, email gc@world-affairs.org.)