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Northwood Program's " Certificate of Global Competence"

The Northwood Program introduces "Certificate of Global Competence" (CGC) as part of its "Global Education Initiative" through "Explore India and America" Learning through travel programs.

• Teach all participants on our "Learning through travel" program to become "Globally Competent"
• We define "Globally Competent" participant as someone who meets the requirements as articulated by Dr. Fernando Reimers, Ford Foundation Professor of International Education & Director of the International Education Policy Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

• Fernando Reimers defines Global Competency as the knowledge and skills that help people understand the flat world in which they live, the skills to integrate across disciplinary domains to comprehend global affairs and events, and the skills to create possibilities to address them. Global competencies are also the attitudinal and ethical dispositions that make it possible to interact peacefully, respectfully, and productively with fellow human beings from diverse geographies.

Dr. Reimers definition of "Global Competency" includes three interdependent dimensions:

• Affective: A positive disposition towards cultural difference and a framework of global values to engage difference. This requires a sense of identity and self-esteem but also empathy towards others with different identities. An interest and understanding of different civilizational streams and the ability to see those differences as opportunities for constructive, respectful, and peaceful transactions among people. This ethical dimension of global competency includes also a commitment to basic equality and rights of all persons and a disposition to act to uphold those rights (Reimers, 2006).
• Action: An ability to speak, understand, and think in languages in addition to the dominant language in the country in which people are born.
• Academic: Deep knowledge and understanding of world history, geography, the global dimensions of topics such as health, climate and economics, and of the process of globalization itself (the disciplinary and interdisciplinary dimension), and a capacity to think critically and creatively about the complexity of current global challenges.

Other Global Education Competencies

• Civic responsibility: Participants learn to act responsibly as local and global citizens with the interests of the larger community in mind
• Perspective: Participants are able to set aside their own world view and understand another’s perspective

• Ethical issues: Participants learn - as they interact with others - to raise questions of right and wrong and seek answers that are consistent with their developing moral codes
• Service Learning: Participants partner with local students to serve, and through service, recognize they help themselves as well as others
• World religions: Participants appreciate the varied ways in which people around the world experience God in themselves and others and understand how religion is an important motivator of peoples around the world
• World languages: Participants make an effort to build proficiency in another language

• Leadership: Participants exercise ethical and responsible leadership, interact and learn from a former Student leader/Public official
• Collaboration: Participants are experienced collaborative problem solvers, work with local students in teams to help achieve common goals
• Competitive skills. The ability to compete globally entails the acquisition of extensive knowledge of international issues. To be able to compete, students need high-level thinking skills that enhance creativity and innovation. Students who gain a thorough understanding of the economic, social, and technological changes taking place across the globe enhance their ability to compete in the worldwide marketplace (NEA Education Policy and Practice Department)