Globeducate prides itself on preparing students to become global citizens. It is a network of 55 premium international schools and online programmes educating more than 28,000 students in nine different countries and on three continents. We talk to Véronique Martinet, Director of Admissions and Marketing for Globeducate France.
Shaping the world
What is the philosophy of Globeducate?
Our philosophy is that we prepare each student to become a global citizen who can shape the world. We prepare students by delivering educational excellence, developing skill and competencies, building character and nurturing global perspectives. In each of our locations, in France, Spain, Italy, the UK, Portugal, Canada, India, Malaysia and Andorra, we offer each Globeducate student a well-rounded, innovative, multi-cultural and personalised education designed to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.
How does the international character of Globeducate benefit students?
The fundamentally international character of our schools enables us to offer our students exposure to other cultures and languages, particularly in our ICS schools cluster with schools in Paris, Milan, London, Rome, Nice and Côte d´Azur, and our GBIS schools (Globeducate British International Schools) in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and the UK. These schools in particular draw interest from predominantly internationally mobile families.
Attending a Globeducate school gives students the opportunity to find their global voice and gives them the confidence, from regular opportunities to work with fellow Globeducate students in other countries, to act and influence the world around them. Our schools offer internationally recognised programmes of study, curricula and qualifications that equip our students for success in an increasingly global and multicultural context, and create pathways to higher education, to study at the leading universities in the world. In 2019-2020, Globeducate students attended 25 of the world’s top 100 universities.
Your website states that Globeducate schools help to produce ‘global citizens who can shape the world’. How do you fulfil that vision?
The world is changing at an incredible pace and we recognise that our students will only be able to succeed in the world of tomorrow if they are prepared for the challenges they will face. In addition to providing an excellent education, we ensure students develop skills and abilities that will keep pace with an ever evolving world. We prepare them for jobs that have not been created, for technologies that have not yet been invented and to solve problems that have not yet been anticipated. To navigate such uncertainties our students develop creativity, self-confidence and perseverance and they learn to respect and appreciate the ideas, perspectives and values of others, and care about the wellbeing of their wider community and planet.
By encouraging students to build their own understanding of world events, to think about their values and what is important to them and challenge ignorance and intolerance, we fulfil our vision. Through educational projects including our Global Agenda, our WWF and Eco-Schools partnerships, our STEAM curriculum involving a pilot project with LEGO® Education, and our learning communities focusing on outdoor education and reading; and through our six Globeducate Events each year, we ensure our vision is accessible and tangible in every classroom, for each student.
What are Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and how do you achieve them?
The United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals provides the blueprint to achieving a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The 17 Goals agreed on in 2015 are all interconnected, and in order to leave no one behind, nearly every country in the world has agreed that it is important that we achieve them all by 2030. Our global agenda in Globeducate schools unites our students around the world to take part in active discussions and call to action in addressing these goals. Students and teachers engage in activities which give meaningful opportunities inside and outside the classroom, individually and as a community, to address these goals.
What is the Eco-Schools programme?
The Eco-Schools programme is the world´s largest sustainability education programme and it offers an accessible framework for schools in every country we work in. Between 2020-2022, all Globeducate schools that are not already certified Eco-Schools are on the journey towards Eco-Schools “Green Flag” status – using this globally recognised benchmark as a tangible tool for meeting our vision to address the UN Sustainability Development Goals 2030 and to prepare each student to become a global citizen who can shape the world.
Four of our schools – Rome International School, Nobel International School Algarve, and Hattemer 8e in Paris have already achieved this and even during Covid-19 school closures, our schools held online Eco-committee meetings and moved action planning online. Our group now counts more than Eco-Schools coordinators amongst its staff; each school having its own teacher who is leading on our Global Agenda projects and overseeing the Eco-Schools accreditation and journey. Key to our Eco-Schools work is looking beyond the school; it is a project that has the potential to involve volunteers from inside and outside the school and one way in which sustainability education has become an intrinsic part of life in our school communities.
Globeducate has a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund. Can you explain what that is exactly?
Our unique partnership with WWF, the first of its kind with any group of schools, connects our students for a rich programme of sustainability-themed summits, events and webinars, and enables our teachers to draw on a wealth of educational resources and to take part in pilot projects in sustainability, education and training. In 2020, the launch year of our agenda, 350 of our students took part in online summits and webinars with WWF experts. These students experienced virtual presentations, break-out sessions, Q&A and round-table debates. They developed their communication, negotiation and critical thinking skills and worked with fellow students from across our Globeducate network.
Students, teachers and families also connect each year in June to raise awareness of endangered species on Wear it Wild day. This partnership sees us collaborating across our school network, impacting on the education of more than 28,000 young people each year. With WWF having played a key role in identifying the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, it is a natural partnership for Globeducate. WWF supports Globeducate by sourcing inspirational speakers and experts and offering opportunities for teacher training in sustainability education. In 2021 our schools launched the first Globeducate Festival of Sustainability which allows students to showcase their achievements to each other and to the WWF Education Team.
What exchanges and international stays does Globeduate offer students?
With schools in nine countries, Globeducate offers its students unique opportunities for preparing for a future within the international community, including full linguistic immersion and a comprehensive programme of events, visits and exchanges. The Globeducate network allows students to participate in exchanges, summer programmes and residential courses at a number of our prestigious international schools.
Academic year at Stonar School, England offers students the opportunity to spend one or two terms, or a full academic year, at the prestigious Stonar School in the United Kingdom. Stonar’s boarding programme provides students with complete linguistic immersion surrounded by students from all around the world. Stonar has a distinguished history in education dating back 125 years.
International Summer Schools provide an ideal opportunity to practise and consolidate the language skills learned during the school year. Globeducate offers its students summer courses in several different countries: Stonar School and ICS London in the United Kingdom, Agora Lledó International School in Spain and Hattemer in Paris.
Describe Globeducate in 3 words.
Shaping the world.
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