AFS Global Competence Readiness Index for Schools

Join a growing movement of educators looking to globalize their schools.

Global competence education helps students take their first steps to becoming global citizens. Young people need global skills, knowledge and understanding to thrive and develop meaningful connections with others no matter where they live, study, volunteer and work—now and for their future. The AFS Global Competence Readiness Index for Schools provides an easy-to-use way to assess where your school is at in terms of helping students develop essential 21st-century skills.

Specifically, the Index offers educators three key things:

Self-Assessment Questionnaire

While completing the questionnaire, you will reflect on how your school addresses key elements recognized to nurture global competence in the classroom and beyond. It all takes 15 minutes.

School Profile and Recommendations

Once you complete the assessment, you will receive the profile of your school, including specific recommendations to improve how your school can empower 21st century learners to become more globally competent.

Resources

You will be able to tap valuable resources, best practices and tools to adapt and use to develop global competence programs for your school and in classrooms.

Why is global competence readiness important for schools?

Intercultural education opportunities that lead to global competence help students:

Broaden perspectives about themselves and the world around them.
Learn and respect differences and believe a diverse world is a stronger and more interesting place.
Communicate and collaborate across cultures in a sensitive and mindful way.
Appreciate other cultures and encourage others to be open to new ideas, attitudes, and traditions.
Build critical thinking and problem-solving skills required in all professions—from education to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).

The AFS Global Competence Index organizes results into four different profiles of schools

Beginning

Schools that are starting to explore the role of education to prepare students for living in a global world. The questionnaire, school report and suggested resources help educators, administrators and policymakers in your school address this need.

Developing

Schools that are already working to implement global competence education. The school report can help convince educators, administrators and policymakers in your school to increase resources and try new tools.

Advancing

Schools that are on track in terms of building global competence in their students. The school report and suggested resources can help strengthen your program with more tools and best practices.

Leading

Schools that have established and systematic practices to foster global competence in their students. However, there is always room for improvement. The questionnaire, school report and suggested resources can help keep your program fresh and relevant.

Who should use the AFS Global Competence Readiness Index for Schools?

Whether you are a teacher or a school administrator, use the Index to explore how ready your school is to help your students develop their global competence. The results will map out some of your school’s strengths and weaknesses and provide recommendations so you can foster stronger institutional practices that build global competence.

Take the Questionnaire

Why has AFS developed this tool?

Tackling global challenges

Today’s world is marked by complexities, challenges and opportunities that require knowing how to learn, work and live together across our many differences. To do this requires that our youth understand how to embrace diversity in all its forms as a crucial 21st century skill set.

Proactive support to schools

Increasingly governments, education experts and employers acknowledge that implementing global competence education—starting in the classroom as early as possible—is one of the best ways to do this. This is especially relevant in light of the newly released 2018 PISA Global Competence Framework (OECD) and Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (COE).

70+ years of expertise

Having delivered research-based, state-of-the-art intercultural learning programs that build global competence for over 70 years, today AFS extends this expertise to support schools and educators as they help students learn how to collaborate across cultures and differences.