The beginning of the school year, there is always excitement and chaos: New students finding their way, new teachers, changes in the rules, new books, over-crowded classes, scheduling issues. . . the list goes on and on.

In my two freshman English classes, at least twenty percent of the students are new to the school and new to the district. Everyone is super well-mannered and quiet, but it is only the first week of school and no one knows each other.
What can I do as a teacher to get them involved, interested and feel more at home? I spent the first day having them in groups of four talking to each other --- introducing themselves. The second day, they wrote an essay about themselves, and for the third day, they are writing an essay about one of their parents. They like those assignments, but it’s not enough.

I have another idea to get them involved in the school community, the global community, and help them meet other students: Help them start a club that will make difference. Not just a club to play games, but a club to change the world.

Have you heard of New Global Citizens (NGC), a non-profit with the mission to mobilize young people to help solve the greatest challenges faced by communities around the world? This amazing group has great support resources that you can even use in your classroom without starting a club but, of course, and they are great for getting a club going.

Last year at Palo Alto High, students set up an NGC team (as they are called) to support the Center for Women Empowerment in Sierra Leone. Students picked this idea because, they said, "This topic stood out because of its immediate and effective tactics." They felt that counseling and education will impact these women forever and help them find their way.

You can easily see what other schools did last year. They are in the process of upgrading their site, but there are still great resources on their present site. They even have a great video that you can show in class. Kids like to be involved in issues where they make a difference. Actually, most people do.

Using the ten major challenges described by New Global Citizens as a framework, teachers can create a team that will allow students to focus on one issue in which they are interested. Students can name their team anything they think will attract other students, and they will all belong to the network of NGC Teams which gives them support. They even have a project finder to help students find a project they would like to support. In addition, they have team leader resources to further help students and teachers get set up, as well as a project manual which contains exceptionally well-thought-out ideas.

A club like this is not additional work for teachers; it is an exciting project for students to lead, but teachers do need to take the initiative to tell students about it and help them get started. It is an extension of the classroom that engages students and helps them feel connected to the school and to the world.

Last year, there were over 75 NGC teams around the US and this year it would be great if that number could double. It is not an unrealistic goal, considering that over 95% of American students make regular use of the Internet to chat, email, and connect with friends. They can make use of their internet skills to help organize their peers, make a difference for people all over the world, and organize a team that will make them feel connected in their school environment.

Esther Wojcicki is the driving force behind the development of Palo Alto High School’s award-winning journalism program - the largest high school journalism program in the country. She focuses on assessing and improving student learning through low- and high-tech tools.

POSTED ON HOTCHALK.COM

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