2008 Annual Report

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2008: Taking on 21st Century Challenges in Global Education
Letter from the Executive Director

I believe deeply in the need to teach our children about the rich and interdependent world in which we live. In order for them to have a foundation of global awareness that will serve them well beyond their K-12 education, change must happen in our schools. Students must learn how to collaborate with diverse peoples, remain flexible in their thinking, and become knowledgeable about the world. By cultivating a healthy curiosity at an early age, we plant the seeds for lifelong interest and participation. What happens in the classroom is extremely important, and of course, teachers play a critical role. Read more...

Preparing Students to Become Successful Global Citizens
Are we providing students with the knowledge and skills they will need to thrive in the 21st century? Are our children learning how to use technology effectively, apply critical thinking skills, communicate, collaborate, and demonstrate their awareness of the wider world?

21st century skills and global awareness have become the focus of a hot debate that spans the nation, as leaders in education, business and policy consider how well we are preparing our students for success in a rapidly changing world. Read more...

Connecting Classrooms to the World through Technology
Primary Source introduced schools and teachers to new ways of connecting to the world in 2008. A host of easy to use, interactive technologies are now freely available to help students "travel" without leaving the classroom, and Primary Source is helping educators take full advantage of these exciting and effective teaching tools.

Teachers in several Primary Source workshops have learned how to use Google Earth as a map, globe, and atlas for the 21st century. With Google Earth, students can experience geography in three dimensions through independent or teacher-designed explorations. Primary Source staff members have shown educators how to layer maps with data and images from different historical periods, a technique with enormous potential for developing student curiosity and understanding of global history. Read more...

Creating Global Schools, One Community at a Time
Primary Source is dedicated to helping schools bring global literacy into all aspects of students' education. Through seminars, in-school workshops, study tours to Asia and Africa, an extensive library, and consultations with faculty and administrators, Primary Source makes it possible for schools across New England to develop curricula inclusive of diverse perspectives.

In 2008, hundreds of teachers and administrators used the organization's expertise and resources to fill gaps in their curriculum and start a variety of new initiatives for students, from an art-based introduction to Japan to a Boston oral history project. Over the course of the year, our work reached nearly 2,000 educators and impacted approximately 175,000 students. Read more...

Supporting Global Education
We gratefully acknowledge the gifts we received this year and the generosity of our donors. Planned gifts and contributions to the Primary Source Fund and the Founders Endowment are critical to the ongoing work of Primary Source and ensure a sound financial future for the organization. Supporting Primary Source sends the powerful message that preparing teachers to educate students for leadership in our complex world is work that is worth investing in.