Teaching Global Citizenship: Bringing the Global Mindset to Family

What is Global Citizenship?

According to the UNESCO Institute for Education, a global citizen is someone who looks beyond the border and identifies themselves as the human race from anywhere around the world.  Global citizenship does not imply a legal status, neither a tribe nor a nation; Every global citizen understands sustainability is a problem. Each one carries the heart to tackle global issues like extreme poverty, gender equality, human rights, and climate change. These action takers are capable of translating goals into plans and executing them to help the world become a more peaceful place; Global Citizen, on the other hand, can also mean a social movement to end extreme poverty.

Despite various interpretations, the most common understanding of global citizenship is a self-respecting individual with a global mindset. This unique skill allows them to create connections from a local to a global scale. In the overall context, the most fundamental characteristic of a global citizen is an independent thinker but collaborative. Each individual believes in the power of voice and capable of making a profound positive difference for this planet.

What is the Global Mindset?

According to Carol Dweck, an individual mindset is how people perceive their ability or intelligence; Most people have heard of fixed and growth mindset. A fixed mindset individual believes the ability is a fixed trait, while a growth mindset people believe the ability can grow and develop over time and effort. 

On the other hand, a global mindset is an orientation of the world that allows individuals to understand certain things from a global perspective. It is a skill to develop over time with guidance rather than rules. Fostering a global mindset skill is a vital key to open the door in this world. The young learner will learn to connect things beyond the local frames, which this skill can lead to multicultural competencies in their adulthood. This ability will allow them to adapt and function efficiently in a culturally diverse environment and collaborate across cultures. 

A global mindset means the ability to scan the world from a broad perspective, always looking for unexpected trends and opportunities that may constitute a threat or an opportunity to achieve personal, professional, or organizational objectives. – Rhinesmith.

The importance of developing a global mindset is not a secret in the modern-day. According to the Global Network research, the global mindset group tends to search for solutions more than the growth mindset group when facing challenges. Not only the global mindset group has outperformed both the fixed and growth mindset group. It proves that these individuals value learning opportunities and able to turn the plan into reality. 

The Benefits of Multicultural Environment Exposure for Young Children: 

Teaching Young Children Global Citizenship

The article on Teaching Global Citizenship suggests the connection between parents, peers, and the environment often tied together in human growth and development. Global citizenship educations are continually seeking the following: 

• Open Communication 
• Instill Inquiry-Based Learning
• Promote Learn-Think-Feel-Act
• Introduce Global Events
• Encourage Global and Multicultural Experiences 
• Multilingual: Learning a New Language

Self Respect & Respect For Others

Multicultural exposure helps to avoid unhealthy stereotype relationships or cultural divisions that cause unwanted judgment. Children are aware of their own culture and understand cultural differences. It is a process of educating young learners that there is no superior culture, and all people are equal in their way; Creating a diverse learning environment provides an opportunity for the young learner to develop a positive attitude toward the world. 

Multicultural Experiences Increase Creativity, Adaptability & Flexibility

A global mindset child who consistently engages in mixed cultures has the ability to see objects and people from multiple perspectives recognizes that a single situation can be interpreted from different angles. The choices each person is making are just one among many. 

In other words, it helps children to understand that there are many ways to achieve goals, and yet there are many different goals that people may find are worth achieving. When facing challenges, the multicultural experiences give the global mindset individual the knowledge to be more flexible and willing to consider alternatives. 

A global mindset individual generally adapts better to new cultures and understand how to behave appropriately in a new environment. Multilingual is one of the most common skills for a global citizen, which allows them to have a higher tolerance for other cultures and feel more comfortable while engaging with others.

Self-confidence and Self-esteem

Children are engaging in a multicultural environment are likely to be better communicators and may have a more extensive international social network when entering adulthood as one of the biggest challenges of communication is interacting with people from different backgrounds. A global citizen can conduct the conversation at a more comfortable level when facing social groups that are different from theirs, leading to a more profound sense of self-confidence.

Open-minded to Different Cultures

Children who have access to a multicultural environment have a more in-depth understanding and appreciation of other cultures. It gives children the eagerness to learn about other countries and provides them with an open and inclusive world view.

Fostering a global mindset child is a set of guidelines rather than rules. Parents’ role is to provide the environment, guidance, with support. There is clear evidence that parents’ reactions can quickly impact how children feel; therefore, it is also a process where adults can practice inner trust in children. Encourage the young generation to grow the knowledge to get in touch with the world and be aware that their day-to-day decisions interlink between everyone.