Questions to Ask Yourself

Take a moment to answer the following “yes-or-no” questions. You can use the results to help you determine which sections you should start exploring first. More than one “no” answer in a particular section is a reasonable indication that the tools in that section may be most relevant to you.

Set a Vision for Global Learning (Vision, Mission, Culture, and Environment)

  • Does your program clearly identify global learning as a priority?
  • Do all staff demonstrate a respect for diverse cultures (including those represented in the program as well as others across the world)?
  • Does the program environment support learning about other peoples and cultures?

Organize a Global Learning Program (Program Organization and Management)

  • Do staff select activities, plan events, and seek out resources and partnerships with the program’s global learning goals in mind?
  • Does your program schedule afford all youth participants regular opportunities to participate in global learning experiences?
  • Are all stakeholder groups (including youth participants, families, staff, partners, funders, and others) aware that global learning is a priority in your program?

Plan a Global Learning Program (Program Planning)

  • Does your program offer young people multiple types of global learning experiences, including those that connect to academics, recreation, health/wellness, and other program areas?
  • Does your global programming intentionally connect to global learning that takes place during the school day?
  • Does your program offer opportunities for young people to learn languages other than English and participate in experiential global learning, through field trips, service learning, or travel?

Deliver a Global Learning Program (Program Delivery)

  • Does your staff take steps to intentionally build relationships between and among youth and adults that support global learning?
  • Are there opportunities for young people to interact with their peers and others from around the world, either virtually or in person?
  • Are staff and young people able to access appropriate international information, media, and resources that support global learning?

Focus on Youth Outcomes (Youth Development and Outcomes)

  • Does your program provide multiple ways for young people to investigate the world around them and beyond?
  • Does your program offer frequent opportunities for young people to explore a global topic from multiple perspectives?
  • Do youth have opportunities to communicate with diverse audiences (including their peers, staff, families, communities, and others) on a regular basis?
  • Do all youth have opportunities to take action and have a positive impact on important issues both within their local communities and more globally?

Professional Development for Staff (Professional Development)

  • Does your program have a professional development plan that intentionally includes regular opportunities for staff to build their capacity to effectively deliver global activities?
  • Does your program collaborate with school and/or community partners to provide professional development opportunities for staff that are globally focused?
  • Do staff act as “global learning role models” for young people by voluntarily seeking out information and staying up-to-date on current world events?

Develop Partnerships (Families, Communities, and Partnerships)

  • Does your program provide opportunities for participants and their families to share their cultures, backgrounds, and international experiences with each other and the broader community?
  • Does your program have active partnerships with a variety of higher education, arts, and cultural institutions, businesses, and community organizations that support the program’s global mission?
  • Do you work collaboratively with your school(s) to align global learning after school to the school day and to share information and resources that support global learning?
  • Does your program have active partnerships with schools or youth organizations in other countries?

Evaluate a Global Learning Program (Program Evaluation)

  • Do you conduct regular program evaluation that includes an assessment of how well your program is meeting its global learning goals?
  • Are youth asked to report on and/or demonstrate their global competence in a structured and intentional way?
  • Does the program publicly display globally-themed youth projects (e.g., within the program space, school, or elsewhere in the community)?

Download the Questions to Ask Yourself (PDF) from the Expanding Horizons Toolkit for Directors.