Generation Global, an education non-profit created for students ages 12-17, has partnered with edWeb to become the sponsor of a free professional learning community (PLC) on edWeb.net. The non-profit recently announced its relaunch into the U.S. as Generation Global, an initiative of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation.

All over the world, destructive ideologies based on cultural, religious, and ideological stereotypes are hampering development, dialogue, and understanding of the world around us. Generation Global believes that education is one of the most effective instruments in countering these ideologies. Through Generation Global, students can practice skills and dialogue, participate in facilitated videoconferences, and engage in a safe online community where they can connect with their peers around the world.

Generation Global’s PLC on edWeb will help educators prepare students with crucial skills to peacefully navigate difference in a world of relentless change and diversity. Community members can collaborate with each other to receive feedback and input on how students can interact with their peers around the world by engaging in authentic discussion around issues of culture, history, identity, beliefs, values, and attitudes. The PLC provides free, highly engaging and interactive webinars with free CE certificates for attending a live webinar or viewing a webinar recording.

Generation Global’s first webinar with the PLC, “Fostering Understanding, Empathy and Dialogue in Our Students,” took place on October 10th. Dr. Ian Jamison, Head of Education at Generation Global; Claire Lorentzen, U.S. Education Manager for Generation Global; and Cory Davis, Educator and Generation Global Dialogue Facilitator at Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane, WA, discussed skills of understanding, empathy, and effective dialogue to better prepare students for life beyond school. The webinar also covered how educators can use technology to safely connect students with their peers across the globe.

Generation Global’s next webinar, “Effective Student Dialogue: Critical Thinking and Active Listening,” will take place on November 16th. Dr. Ian Jamison; Scott Chua, Generation Global Alumni Moderator and First Year Student at Yale-NUS College Singapore; and Hailey Lister, Generation Global Alumni Moderator and First Year Student at Occidental College in Los Angeles, CA, will present on their experiences with the Generation Global program. They will also share personal stories on how dialogue, understanding, and connecting with peers across the globe has helped them become better global citizens.

“Governments around the world recognise the need to equip their younger citizens with the knowledge and skills to reject prejudice, conflict, and extremism, and to build an open-minded society. As educators in the USA, we have the responsibility to provide students with the knowledge and skills to navigate difference with empathy and understanding. Cross-cultural competency is no longer a choice, nor an optional add-on to our curricula, but an essential part of a well-rounded 21st century education. USA schools have a leading role to play in embracing our students as the global generation – and educating them with the skills necessary to build a generation at ease with difference, and that embraces an open-minded view of the world,” said Dr. Ian Jamison, Head of Education at Generation Global.

“These issues are so important in a world that is increasingly global, but still torn apart by our differences. We are so glad we can work with Generation Global and the Tony Blair Faith Foundation to help teachers and students reach across those differences to find common ground and mutual understanding,” said Lisa Schmucki, founder and CEO of edWeb.

Educators are invited to join Generation Global’s free professional learning community on edWeb.net for invitations to upcoming webinars, online discussions, and access to resources.