Eco-Schools is the largest global sustainability school program, with over 59,000 schools that engage 20 million students and 1.4 million teachers across 93 countries. The program was developed in response to the needs identified at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (also known as the Earth Summit) in Rio de Janeiro in…

UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's "global citizenship education" model provides the background for the Universidad de Monterrey intercultural competence initiative. Acting on Nelson Mandela's advice that "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world," this…

Character education in schools is implemented using different approaches. The current practices related to character education, though, include educators implementing preplanned lessons and activities from published programs. Yet, these current practices have mixed reviews in large- and small-scale studies. The purpose of this article is to…

The notion of teaching social studies through inquiry is far from a new development. With the publication of the "College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework: Guidance for Enhancing the Rigor of K-12 Civics, Economics, Geography, and History," however, there is arguably a greater emphasis on inquiry in K-12 social studies education…

Others' success can be a powerful motivation to innovate, which sometimes means finding new ways to return to beneficial activities. Finland's academic success has prompted many to explore that country's policies and practices, particularly regarding providing opportunities for children to enjoy more unstructured play.

Recent surveys have indicated a worryingly low level of support for democracy among Australian youth and around the world. For example, in the 2017 Lowy Institute Poll, 36% of Australians indicated that, in some circumstances, a nondemocratic government is preferable. Such concerns, while hardly new, have triggered calls for more civic education…

A growing body of research has found community service learning to have a positive effect upon participating college students' civic development; however, far less scholarship has considered the impact of particular components of a community service learning program. This article presents two preliminary but promising strategies for enhancing the…

In "Character Compass," Scott Seider offers portraits of three high-performing urban schools in Boston, Massachusetts that have made character development central to their mission of supporting student success, yet define character in three very different ways. One school focuses on students' moral character development, another…

Global citizens are those who are aware of, demonstrate respect for, and are comfortable engaging across cultural boundaries. This article explores why preparing global citizens is important and how positive psychology can inform our understanding of those who engage comfortably in today's complicated world. Soliya's Connect program is described…

On September 17, 2013 (Constitution Day), the C3 Framework was released under the title "The College, Career and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards: Guidance for Enhancing the Rigor of K-12 Civics, Economics, Geography, and History." The C3 Project Director and lead writer was NCSS member Kathy Swan, who is…

This article describes the development of an undergraduate interdisciplinary global citizenship program. The process of program development was guided by the core belief that students need not only information and skills, but the tools to develop their own individual citizenship in today's world. Using document analysis, interviews with key…

In this article we explore the definition and development of civic capacity at a liberal arts college through a specific teaching and learning initiative. This initiative encourages faculty, staff, and students to share the roles of teacher, learner, and colleague as they gain educational opportunities and foster these for others. Through a…

We describe our approach to incorporating a civic engagement component into a quantitative literacy (QL) course and the resulting gains in student learning, confidence, and awareness of local civic issues. We revised the existing QL course by including semester-long group projects involving local community issues that students could investigate…

In recent years, student interest in civic engagement has resulted in increased opportunities to volunteer on college campuses across the country. Unfortunately, these efforts are often not supported by or coordinated with academic curricula, and, as a result, their benefits can be short-lived. Despite a growing consensus that civic education…

Scientists have long recognized the value of having statistical data to measure the scope and vitality of education, research, and workforce development in their fields. Such data support evidence-based policy discussions in professional and governmental forums. Since 1982, the National Science Board has been required by law to publish…