We nurture our children to be mensches. Today, across our global network of ORT schools, we prioritize Global Citizenship Education as a catalyst to that end.

At Colegio Olamí ORT in Mexico City this month, educators from around Latin America, including Peru, Panama, Mexico City, Colombia and Costa Rica, convened to take a deep dive into Global Citizenship Education (GCE), one of World ORT’s flagship programs.  

This enriching professional development opportunity took educators on a journey to explore the different facets of GCE, equipping them with the tools to foster a sense of global awareness and responsibility among their students, integrating the principles into classroom lessons and their school culture. The seminar featured a rich program of discussions led by experts in the field, collaborative activities and interactive workshops to enlighten and inspire participants.  

Defining Global Citizenship Education

The seminar featured expert-led discussions that guided the participants to develop a theoretical foundation for the definition of GCE. Participants explored the broad definition of GCE, honed in on ORT’s focus, and crafted a personalized definition relevant to their schools.

Dr. Moises Salinas Fleitman, Rector of Universidad ORT Mexico, delivered the keynote presentation, “Why Global Citizenship Education?”. 

Another popular session with the participants was led by Dr. Tamara Kolangui, Director for the Shimon Peres Chair for Peace, titled: “What is Peace Education and How is it Connected to Global Citizenship Education?” 

A Case Study: Colegio Olamí ORT

Participants put theory into practice and delved into how GCE might look in their own schools. 

They used Colegio Olamí ORT as their learning lab, touring the school with staff to investigate how Olamí, which is heavily invested in GCE, makes it come to life. 

Orly Picker and Mariana Piven, educational leaders at the school, demonstrated how their teachers explore global citizenship with their students through the educational model of project-based learning. 

Jorge Arditti, Founder of the We Are Water Foundation, spoke about innovative education on water issues, followed by the group working alongside students in the school’s Maker Space to collaboratively build a water filter like those seen around the school.

The humanitarian organization CADENA led an interactive workshop showcasing Olamí students and their involvement in the organization and left with an invitation to bring CADENA programming to our ORT schools.  

GCE in our World 

Participants zoomed out and explored GCE both on a communal and global level. The group was transported outside of the four walls of the Olami classrooms to witness first-hand Global Citizenship in Mexico City. Hearing personal narratives at a site visit to Casa Tochan Migration Center inspired our educators to think about how to bring local issues into their own students’ lives.  

The group also visited the Museum of Memory and Tolerance, whose mission is to disseminate the importance of tolerance, non-violence, memory and human rights. They had a private tour of the exhibits and met with museum staff to hear all that they have to offer to bring the museum to their schools through curriculum, virtual tours of the exhibits and webinars. 

Next Steps

At the conclusion of their intensive study, these newly formed thought partners collectively chose joint projects to move forward in our Latin American schools, using the new information and resources acquired during the seminar. 

Our seminar participants who came as individuals definitely left Mexico City as a community of practice ready and highly motivated to roll up their sleeves to integrate Global Citizenship Education into their schools. 

Conversations that sprouted wings at the seminar about collaborative programming and individual projects will plant roots back at schools in the weeks to come.