Connecticut

The World Affairs Council’s education programming continued its growth, played a leadership role in Hartford Public Schools’ development of internationally themed academies, and further expanded its policy efforts to advance international education in Connecticut. In addition to emerging as a state resource for students and teachers in international education, the Council also participates in national discussions to consider how best to prepare students and teachers for success in our globalizing economy and society.

Connecticut’s International Readiness: Supporting K-12 Foreign Language Studies

Throughout 2010, the World Affairs Council supported the CT Council of Language Teachers efforts to include a two-year foreign language requirement in the newly established high school graduation requirements. The World Affairs Council’s Roundtable on Connecticut’s International Readiness (February 2009) involving business, education and policy leaders provided context and points of reference for expert testimony to the Connecticut General Assembly Education Committee and the State Board of Education.

Hartford Public Schools:

The World Affairs Council continued to support the Hartford Public Schools efforts to create and advance its internationally-themed academies and related programming.

• Asian Studies Academy. The WAC-CT served on the Asian Studies Academy Design Team and presented twice to City of Hartford Board of Education public hearings on the importance of developing an Asian Studies Academy to support Hartford’s human resource capacity to compete in a globalizing economy. Following Board of Education approval, the Council was the lead organizer in a week-long professional development program for over 50 recently hired teachers and for a month-long trip to China for 12 teachers and curriculum experts in 2010. WAC-CT is currently the lead consultant to this project and is developing social studies and language curriculum as well as putting together another trip to China this summer.

• Burns Academy for Latino Studies. A member of the Burns Academy for Latino Studies Design Team, the Council continued to provide curriculum resources to the Burns Academy for Latino Studies

• Law & Government Academy. As a community partner, the Council met several times with students to consider current issues in international relations.

Connecticut After School Network

The Connecticut After School Network, in conjunction with the Connecticut World Affairs Council and PIER at Yale University developed and organized a conference for After School Educators, Formal Educators, and Youth Development Professionals in March of 2010. Through this conference, the Connecticut After School Network was able to connect with multiple entities in the state that were interested in engaging the after school audience through global learning.

The Asia Society hosted a training of trainers in New York City in February of 2010 on the Asia Society’s, “Expanding Horizons Toolkit” for after school programs. The Connecticut After School Network sent six of its trainers to this event. These trainers are part of the Network’s Training and Consultation Service and are able to deliver materials on-site to programs statewide as well as to audiences at both state and national training events for after school professionals. The Network has since delivered these training modules at the Yale School of the 21st Century National Conference in 2010, as well as the National After School Association Convention and the annual Mott Conference of Statewide After School Networks in 2011.

The Connecticut After School Network also offered a workshop in conjunction with the National Summer Learning Association which incorporated the “All Around the World” curriculum guide for summer developed by Development Without Limits.

Contact information: Eve Pech at epech@ctwac.org.

Updated September 2011