Students, teachers, administrators, and alumni were interviewed to explore their understandings of global citizenship education. There were 4 students that participated in 3 in-depth interviews each. There were 5 teachers that participated in 2 in-depth interviews each. There have not yet been any alumni interviewed.
Students
Having spent more than 8 years at one of the most competitive and prestigious schools in Australia with ambitious and academically driven peers, Violet unsurprisingly has high expectations of herself. She admits feeling a tremendous sense of pressure to deliver her best performance, which sometimes strains her relationships with those around her. Her firm belief in the value of hard work was instilled by her parents who, as recent immigrants, have built a successful business from almost nothing. Violet keeps an incredibly hectic schedule that allows her to balance classes, dancing, rowing, and social life. As an aspiring journalist, Violet draws huge inspiration from her literature teacher, for whom she has great respect, and her own fervent desire to express her opinions on various social issues. Immersing herself in a multicultural environment at Everdeen, Violet is keenly aware of the diversity of opinions and beliefs that exists across different cultures and takes that into consideration in interacting with her peers.
Jake keeps a very close relationship with his parents whose high expectations of him translate into the immense academic pressure that he occasionally feels. A passionate football player, Jake struggles to balance his demanding training and academic endeavor while allocating some time to spend with his family and friends. His constant travel to different parts of the state with the football team has also helped him become aware of the privileges that he enjoys. Jake’s awareness of his social class, coupled with a strong sense of social justice, motivates him to volunteer as a tutor at a home for underprivileged Sudanese children which he recognizes as an important stepping stone to his future career as a teacher. As an emerging global citizen, Jake also immerses himself in a multicultural environment at school by interacting with peers who come from a diverse range of backgrounds, developing a deep understanding of cultural differences in the process. His recent involvement in a community service program in Papua New Guinea also opened his eyes to the perspectives of those who do not share the privileges he enjoys, inspiring him to contribute more to the local and global community.
As the son of a successful business owner and an investment advisor, Harrison is an exceptionally driven and ambitious individual who surrounds himself with equally driven peers. He possesses an intense desire to be successful and an extraordinary willingness to take on challenges which, without a doubt, have made him a top student. On top of his excellent academic performance, Harrison is also an avid rower, a skillful percussionist and the captain of his house. He believes that his consistent involvement in an array of activities will help him remain competitive in his application to top American universities. In addition, Harrison has travelled to more than 15 different countries, exposing him to a wide range of cultures and social conditions. The opportunities to travel widely have also allowed him to realize the privileges that he possesses as a member of his social class. Despite his demanding schedule, Harrison has also successfully maintained close relationships with his friends, many of whom share similar backgrounds and values.
Ruby stands apart from most of her peers at Everdeen. As the recipient of the General Excellence Scholarship, she keeps an extremely demanding academic schedule that allows her to stay competitive even at one of the top institutions in the country. Her keen interest in the biological sciences mainly stems from her dream to become a doctor, which also helped her forge a strong relationship with her biology teacher whose immense knowledge and positive attitude earn Ruby’s admiration. Like many of her friends, Ruby plays an active role in her soccer team, which she recognizes has become an integral part of her life. The fact that a recent knee surgery keeps her from playing soccer for a few months troubles her tremendously and she hopes to recover in time for the big tournaments. Ruby also believes that her school has effectively promoted a deeper sense of global citizenship among its students, through various overseas mission trips and charity drives.
Administrators and teachers
One can’t help but appreciate Mr. Waller’s tremendous sense of pride in the incredibly rich history of Everdeen and its genuine efforts to push the boundaries of education and enhance its global footprint. As the head of the oldest campus, Mr. Waller unsurprisingly oversaw the school’s transition from, in his words, an inwardly-looking school to an innovative and progressive one that looks beyond the borders of Australia. He asserts that an Everdeen education confers an enormous academic advantage on its students, equipping them with the necessary skills and grades to attend any institution of higher education of their choice. Mr. Waller constantly encourages his students to look beyond Australia for further education, to immerse themselves in a truly global environment that pushes their understanding of the world around them. He believes strongly in Everdeen’s efforts to produce well-rounded, confident individuals who are well-versed in critical thinking and problems solving and who care about making a positive impact on the world. He also shares that part of Everdeen’s secret to success lies in its exceptional compensation packages that help recruit the best teachers from all over the world, who together constantly develop and improve their teaching methods. Mr. Waller also feels the obligation to use Everdeen’s resources to aid in improving educational infrastructure in poorer parts of the country and around the world – something he deems important in fulfilling the school’s vision of a beacon of social justice.
Having spent more than 26 years at Everdeen, Mr. Poole believes he has witnessed a significant change in Everdeen’s approach to teaching global citizenship. In his opinion, global citizenship should not be distinctly defined but be left as a broad understanding of a concept that may mean different things to different individuals. As the coach of the cricket team that frequently participates in international competitions, Mr. Poole strongly believes in incorporating learning about different cultures into overseas trips, to provide his students with a level of exposure to a wide range of issues people around the world are struggling with. Similarly, as the head of the senior boys at Everdeen, Mr. Poole makes use of the house system to promote students’ engagement with local and overseas communities, through mandatory service trips where students develop the notion that they can make a real difference in the world. With regard to Everdeen environment, he thinks that its exceptional focus on international outlook and the presence of more than 60 nationalities remain its best asset as it allows the students to develop a better understanding of themselves and the world around them.
What started out as a temporary job for Ms. Taylor unexpectedly turned into more than 8 years of dedication and love for Everdeen. Helen confesses that despite her preference for public schools, private ones like Everdeen provide her with an exceptional amount of resources that allows her to accomplish much more as a teacher. It is this inequitable distribution of resources that leads her to believe that private schools have the obligation to help other schools in the community. She is rather pleased with the way Everdeen is teaching its students about community engagement and global citizenship, through its involvement in a wide range of international charities and cultural exchange programs, as well as its organization of classes on global politics and multi-cultural communication. An avid traveler, Ms. Taylor has visited a great number of places and strongly believes that international traveling can be used as an effective tool to teach students about their position in the world and their potential to make a positive impact. As the head of the senior girls, she works closely with other administrators to ensure that every team or club at Everdeen receives adequate support and that every student is thoroughly immersed in an environment that promotes academic excellence, social justice and an international outlook.
As the director of international programs, Mr. Leigh plays a crucial role in shaping and promoting Everdeen’s international outlook. He concurs that such an international outlook should not stop at just raising students’ awareness of the world beyond their own countries but should also allow them to recognize their responsibility and potential to become catalysts for positive global changes. Trained as a history and politics teacher, Mr. Leigh strives to emphasize a global vision in his lessons and integrates classroom teaching with historical contexts, often through organizing overseas trips for his students. He also hopes that extensive traveling would allow his students to realize their privileged position in the world and truly understand what he believes is Everdeen’s most important value – compassion. Mr. Leigh firmly believes that by instilling in his students a sense of obligation to help other human beings, he is playing a part in building the next generation of leaders who are able to work effectively with others to tackle global issues.