2007 Annual Report

Download the PDF to view the entire report.

2007: Bringing the World to New England's Classrooms
Letter from the Executive Director

We are witnessing a rapid increase of interest in global education. A consensus is developing among educators, business leaders and policy-makers that America needs our students to become competent global citizens. Public opinion polls, state mandates, and even recent presidential debates have highlighted the need to prepare students for the interconnected world of the 21st century. Read more...

Responding to Student and Community Needs
Lowell, Massachusetts, is home to the second-largest Cambodian community in the United States. Students of Southeast Asian descent represent twenty-nine percent of the Lowell Public Schools population. Yet they and their fellow students are not systematically exposed to curriculum that incorporates their home culture and the Cambodian immigrant experience in the United States. Read more...

Connecting Teachers and Students to the World
Travel has the potential to transform one's understanding of the world. For more than ten years, Primary Source has brought teachers on study tours to China, where they have developed an appreciation for the country's modern life and ancient history. As the organization has grown, opportunities to connect educators to people and cultures throughout the world have also expanded. Read more...

Partnering with Schools to Expand Students' Perspectives
Primary Source ensures that students are well educated about international geography, peoples, cultures, and languages so that they may thrive in our changing nation and world. Through partnerships with schools, Primary Source provides teachers with the resources they need to incorporate international perspectives into the classroom. In 2007, Primary Source's partner schools and school districts throughout New England have worked to expand students' understanding of the world through a variety of innovative projects. Read more...

Supporting Global Education
We gratefully acknowledge the gifts we received this year and the generosity of our donors. Gifts to the Primary Source Fund and the Founders Endowment are critically important to the ongoing work of Primary Source and ensure a sound financial future for the organization.