The 21st century is a global one, and the U.S. must prepare the next generation to be knowledgeable about world regions and global issues and to communicate across cultures and languages. In order to become successful in a global age, all students from all backgrounds will need an array of educational opportunities--both during the school day and beyond--to become globally literate. This issue brief discusses the importance of global competence and describes some of the ways afterschool programs successfully facilitate global learning. (Contains 11 endnotes.)