Global Education Massachusetts (GEM) Update

Members of Global Education Massachusetts (GEM) met on March 2nd to continue their work to promote international education initiatives across the state. Guests at the meeting included representatives from the state-level Executive Office of Education as well as a panel of community college and vocational high school educators.

Director Kathleen Ennis to Participate in Harvard Think Tank

Primary Source's Executive Director, Kathleen Ennis, has accepted an invitation to participate as an expert in an upcoming think tank event at Harvard University. "Education for What Ends? Preparing Children and Youth for an Interdependent World" will be organized by Harvard's Advanced Leadership Initiative, a program designed to prepare leaders to take on new challenges in the social sector.

Boston Globe Features Primary Source

Primary Source's global education work with the Hingham, Massachusetts, public schools was featured in a recent Boston Globe article. With Primary Source's help, Hingham High School brought Harvard University Professor Ali Asani to speak about the importance of cultural understanding with a focus on Islam and the Muslim world. Eighty-five teachers and twenty students attended the session.

Read about Primary Source's work with Hingham High School teachers and students.

Children's Life in China

Primary Source and the Boston Children's Museum are pleased to present "Children's Life in China," a workshop for K-7 educators about contemporary China.

Haiti: How You Can Help

In the wake of Haiti's devastating earthquake, Primary Source is reaching out to community members and asking you to give generously of your time and resources to the people of Haiti.

Please consider making a gift to Partners in Health, where your donation will support relief efforts in areas affected by the earthquake.

Teachers may want to make use of our Haiti resource guide to find materials on Haiti's history and culture to educate students about the broader context of this tragedy.

Those of you in the Boston area might join the New England Conservatorys Symphonic Relief for Haiti, a concert on January 31st to benefit Partners in Health's Stand With Haiti campaign.

My Japan: Home, School, and Daily Life for Japanese Children

Primary Source and the Boston Children's Museum have created "My Japan: Home, School, and Daily Life for Japanese Children," a special workshop for elementary and middle school educators to be held at the museum on March 20.

Teacher Q&A: James Buck, Watertown High School

James Buck teaches world history at Watertown High School. A frequent participant in Primary Source seminars, he recently began incorporating an international community service project into the traditional curriculum.

Primary Source: Describe the NGO project initiative that you've developed for students in your world history class.

Madame White Snake

Madame White Snake creator and librettist Cerise Jacobs speaks to educators at Primary Source.

In conjunction with the world premiere of Madame White Snake, Primary Source teamed up with Opera Boston and created a unique workshop to give teachers a way to bring this extraordinary story alive for students.

Primary Source's 2009 Annual Fund Reaches New Heights

Despite a difficult economic climate, Primary Source raised an unprecedented amount of unrestricted funds during the past year. This record-breaking achievement makes 2009 the Primary Source Fund's most successful year to date.

Why Learn and Teach About the World?

Primary Source asked teachers and students about the need for global education, and the results are eye opening. From second-graders to school superintendents, our interviewees believe that our rapidly changing world demands a new type of education – one filled with world languages, collaborative projects, and new technologies.