“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” -Nelson Mandela
Global Education is merely a more universal approach to education. It breeds curiosity. The kind of education where children are exposed to not only the cultures and traditions of their native countries, but to the ideas, perspectives, and dimensions of all countries in the world.
What was once just an initiative, took the forefront in the 60s and 70s and gave birth to the idea of a global community. The idea began to develop only a few decades ago and remains just as pertinent in the world today, if not more so. Children should learn about the differences and similarities of all humans in the world. When globalization has become a household term, it is important that our children learn about all the cultures of the world so they are sent out more aware of other people and their way of life.
The chance to engage in a curriculum that embraces a global understanding offers children to apply varying perspectives to current global issues, and their lives!
A global education stands on two pillars. The first one is creating a learner-centered curriculum, which helps develop inspired, inquisitive, informed and well-rounded individuals. The second is helping create a more sustainable, equitable and harmonious society.
Here, at the Puranik Foundation, we believe a global education can be inculcated through planned exchange programs, wherein students from the USA are invited to be a part of our family at the foundation and exchange culture, values and knowledge.
The ten-day exchange program is held annually over summer break, where children ages 14-25 to immerse themselves in Indian culture and traditions as a local, learn ways to live sustainably and connect with nature and residential students on campus. In addition to engaging with Indian students, these kids are exposed to quintessential Indian activities, like yoga and kite-flying. Our program plan includes the celebration of various Indian festivals; a new one every day! Whether it is the energy of Ganpati, the color of Holi, the morals of Dusshera, or the lights of Diwali – we want the children to enjoy all-encompassing Indian festivities.
Apart from a deep dive into Indian traditions, these programs have enabled children to interact with each other as they create boundless friendships. They understand themselves through new connections and imbibe in themselves, new perspectives. Within the ten-day curriculum, students from outside India experience to how our students undertake sustainable living through rainwater harvesting, and cooking using biogas, being conservative of energy usage and learning to cook their own food from vegetables grown on the premises.
We are observing first-hand, the wonders of true global education. Children are learning about technology, systems, and literature from around the world. Think of how many more ideas they can have on their horizon, how much more they can wonder about, how many more problems they can solve, how many more exhilarating cultures they can become a part of.
Global education is not a subject matter, it is a dimension that runs throughout a curriculum – and it most definitely will be an important tool in building the future that we want to build.