Local Service. Conscientious Fundraising. Global Immersion. 

The Global Classroom Project empowers youth to earn and participate in an international service and immersion experience while making a difference all along the way. 

The Global Classroom Project is a curriculum designed to empower youth to give back to their local communities, create an ethical start-up business as a funding platform, and gain transformative global competency while gaining valuable 21st century leadership, entrepreneurial, and collaboration skills that provide purpose and context for education as it is applied in the real world.

Earning the Experience is at the heart of the Global Classroom Project (GCP). We work together to earn the trip, fundraise for our service project in the host country, help others earn their experience, give back to our local communities before and after the trip, and do good while doing well.

 

We call the three phases of the curriculum: On the Ground, In the Clouds and Around the Planet. Each component is crucial in earning the global experience and  moving us all closer to our ultimate goal: World Peace.

The Project Guide facilitates pre-project meetings to prepare Team Leaders (faculty) for partnering in this pedagogy. Crucial to the project is a commitment by all partners to assist and partner in the creation of fundraising platforms to be implemented institutionally and individually.  

 

On the Ground 

The Global Classroom Project begins with team building, volunteering, and local service to prepare the students for their personal investment. These projects build the foundation of giving and collaboration which in turn, solidify the Team. GCP helps students identify and commit to a local service project. Whether it is one and done or an on-going project, students are encouraged to look for ways to give back to their local communities. The Give is the Get.

Local service also prepares students for the challenging work ahead and sets the bar for realistic goals and commitments for the participants. This is the phase where the paperwork for travel starts and a first investment (deposit) is made for the travel.

As students move through the Project, partner organizations specializing in service learning, volunteering, entrepreneurship, mentoring, travel, team building, and leadership development are used to deliver the GCP curriculum and are coordinated by the Project Guide and Team Leaders. Field trips, online and virtual classes are provided as opportunities to engage a variety of learners and schedules. Events are held off of school grounds, in school, after school and on weekends.

 

In the Clouds 

In this phase, students will build funding platforms collaboratively and individually as they learn skills essential to entrepreneurship (design thinking, prototype and test, minimal viable product, focus groups, cost of goods sold, net and gross profit, fixed and variable costs, micro-loans, revenue, expenses, capital, start-up cost, budget, etc).  At the Global Classroom Project, we believe in the Triple Bottom Line: People, Planet and Profit. Students will be given the resources to create a business plan and start earning their trip.This phase is intended to kick start the fundraising for the remainder of the cost of the travel.

Around the Planet

The “final” phase, Around the Planet, is focused on the trip. Final preparations (paperwork, passports, and payments), community service planning, virtual pen pals, the trip itself, and reflection exhibitions make up the culminating activities.

Over the course of  7-10 months, the Global Classroom Project Guide manages the paperwork required for the trip, coordinate fundraising efforts through communication and promotion, leads entrepreneurial workshops and team building activities, and coordinates local service activities and “mini adventures”.  The Project Guide will be responsible for collaborating with lead parents and Team Leaders and assisting in the coordination of all parent participation in fundraising events and team building activities as they relate to the Global Classroom Project.