Students Working Together To Change The World

A unique school program encourages students to work with students from
other countries to help solve global problems.

In an increasingly interconnected world, it is imperative that schools
begin to educate students now to be global citizens. Skills that will
help students lead and succeed in the 21st century are based on an
understanding of global issues. A new program is helping students
develop this understanding while giving schools the opportunity to be
models in the education of global citizens.

Challenge 20/20, sponsored by the National Association of Independent
Schools (NAIS), is an experiential education program that aims to
improve cross-cultural communication and help students become global
problem solvers. Based on the book "High Noon: 20 Global Problems, 20
Years to Solve Them" by J.F. Rischard, the program pairs public and
private schools in the U.S. with schools in other countries. Students at
partner schools agree to tackle one of the global challenges mentioned
in the book. They research the issue, correspond regularly and together
develop local solutions to these global problems.

Together, the school teams work throughout the fall semester to come up
with a solution to their chosen problem. Their work becomes part of the
curriculum at the schools, and team solutions lead to actual plans that
are implemented on a local level, on the campuses or in the communities
of both schools.

At the end of the semester, teams are asked to report on their solution
and the process of working together. Three teams (one in each category:
PK-5, 5-9, 9-12) whose solutions and teamwork are particularly
impressive receive partial funding to send a student-teacher group to
the NAIS Annual Conference. Upper-school student representatives in
their junior and senior years participate in the Institute for Student
Leaders, while younger students may attend the Challenge 20/20 awards.

All elementary and secondary schools are invited to participate in
Challenge 20/20. They may be public or private schools, located anywhere
in the world. At a school, the group of students may be part of a
particular academic class. More than one team from a particular school
may participate if they wish to tackle multiple problems, provided their
partner school agrees to form multiple teams.