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The K–12 Global Classroom

From the One-Room to the One-World Schoolhouse

The world is rapidly changing and the lives of young people are more and more shaped by what happens around the globe. At the heart of our mission, we recognize the significant role that education can play in helping youth embrace these new global opportunities and challenges. Our youth and community education programs offer an array of innovative, creative learning resources for multicultural and international education for K–12 youth and the community at large—tools to help us work, live and play in an interconnected world.

Reconciling resource challenges in the state’s K-12 education system, the World Affairs Council of Oregon plays an essential role in supplementing ongoing education efforts—annually reaching more than 30,000 students across the region. An education rich in global literacy addresses significant gaps in what kids need to know to be innovative, economically competitive, active citizens in a globalized 21st century. For more than 60 years, the Council has been providing resources for young people to develop empathy, understanding and critical thinking around complex global issues in the safe space of homes, community centers, and classrooms.

Library of Hands-on Culture Boxes

With its library of Culture Boxes on 100+ countries and an extensive Global & Multicultural Resource Center, the Council’s Global Classroom Program annually connects hundreds of teachers, students, and community members with resources for hands-on immersion in the daily life of other countries.

Teach the World Educator Conference and Youth Forum Series

The Teach the World Educator Conference and Youth Forum Series connects Oregon educators with the tools needed to ignite student interest in the diverse regions of the world using an engaging, multidisciplinary approach. This series covers continents like Africa, and regions such as the Middle East and East Asia. Conferences and follow-up youth forums reach hundreds of teachers and students annually.

WorldQuest Global Knowledge Competition for High Schools

Each year, the Council hosts WorldQuest Global Knowledge Competition, involving teams of students from Oregon and Southwest Washington—matching wits around global culture, current events, history, geography, and much more!