On May 2, the 11th grade Global Awareness class gave their final presentations on the following topics:
• No Poverty
• Zero Hunger
• Affordable and Clean Energy
• Industry Innovation and Infrastructure
The presentations were based on the 17 Global Goals presented by United Nations in 2015. Each student chose a global issue to research and explain. Then, they presented the corresponding UN Global Goal and created their own public service announcement (PSA) to raise awareness about the issue and present possible solutions. (For more information about the 17 Goals and a list of actions you can take to be part of the solution, click here: http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/.)
At the end of each presentation, the 11th graders answered questions from the audience, made up mostly of 5th and 6th graders. After seeing the presentations, the elementary students created their own Global Awareness posters, which were displayed all on the Elementary School walls.
Educational activities like this one generate awareness about global issues and engage students in the development of ideas and inquiry questions, informed by the comprehensive IB DYP curriculum we are currently beginning to implement. Another important dynamic in IB Curriculum is peer-to-peer teaching and learning in which older students, the 11th graders, reinforce what they have learned by teaching younger students, in this case 5th and 6th graders.
IB learners are responsible local, national and global citizens. Through them, we hope our students will create a better and more peaceful world.
Global awareness is central to an IB education. During this activity, Robinson 11th grade students exemplified IB learners by engaging in discussions about global ideas and issues through rigorous research and with humanity and compassion. Although the world we live in can be challenging and unpredictable, students critically examined the issues and formulated ethical, reasoned and balanced arguments in their presentations. Then, they used what they learned to address the problems facing the world today in a way that looks for solutions.
The authorization of Robinson’s IB Diploma Year Program (DYP) for our Upper School students depends on the type of work generated for this class. Even The New York Times recognizes the potential inherent in an IB education: “The International Baccalaureate program provides schools with an elegant curricular model with the potential to help save the planet.”
IB authorization is transforming Robinson and enriching to our existing mission with an instructional approach that reflects real life. It encourages learning within and beyond traditional subjects through meaningful, in-depth inquiries into relevant local, community and worldwide issues. (For more information about our IB authorization process, click here: http://www.robinsonschool.org/international-baccalaureate .) We are a “private school with a public purpose.” We congratulate the 11th grade and their Spanish teacher, Jessica Román-Monteczuma for their important contributions to global awareness here at Robinson School.