Piloting the way to higher global education, the Illinois Global Scholar certificate competed for a $100,000 grant presented by the Farmers of America. Voting reached an end on Oct. 31, and final results will arrive in December.

The Illinois Global Scholar Award (IGSA) is a seal that recognizes global competence, one very similar to the Seal of Biliteracy already implemented in the district’s curriculum.

Most of the grant will provide for youth summits and teacher training to help districts create advanced educational opportunities. About a quarter of the grant will offer high-tech responsive training personalized for individual students.

Social studies teachers Seth Brady and Randy Smith have been advocates for the IGSA, collaborating due to their shared passion for cultural awareness.

“Another thing is that the grant will provide a statewide service project on a specific day, so in September next year, we’re planning a cleanup day,” social studies teacher Seth Brady said. “So students would clean and collect data on a body of water and share their data with another school around the world to share their experience. Service, learning and collaboration all in one.”

Smith explains the positive effects the award could prompt in students.

“If a student has met the requirements [for the award], they’re a richer person, richer in that they are more sensitive, more equipped to interact with the differences in our world,”  Smith said. “I’m an educator. I want to see people grow.”

Back in 2013, Brady received a grant to attend a teacher fellowship called Teachers for Global Classrooms that included an international field experience in Indonesia.

“At that time, Wisconsin had started the seal, and I went to Indonesia with a teacher in Wisconsin who told me about [the award],” Brady said. “Then I came back to Central and told people in my department about getting a district-level certificate.”

While Brady was in Indonesia, Smith was in Kenya working to achieve a higher level of understanding of different cultures. After spending three weeks overseas, Smith returned to the U.S. with other teachers in Washington D.C. to discuss curriculum development that would also infuse global education.

After discussing possible opportunities for the next step, Brady and Smith received a grant through the Longview Foundation.

“Remember, we had no field testing, we just had an idea at this point,” Smith said.

Brady and Smith soon gained more motivation as they were awarded the grant, using the money to invite stakeholders across Illinois to discuss a plan of action.

Fifty of these stakeholders, including educators who taught from grade school all the way to high school, gathered at North Central College for a series of meetings. There they compiled the foundation component of the legislation that would specify requirements for students to receive the certificate.

“We needed a house and senator to propose our proposal now,” Smith said. “So we would call people in positions of influence.”

With this in mind, Brady and Smith reached out to Darlene Ruscitti, regional officer of the Dupage County Education Committee, in hopes of receiving her support.

The teachers asked to meet her and she “mapped out a plan that we have followed, and she has been a great advocate,” Smith said.

Though the legislation was passed by Gov. Rauner in August, Smith, Brady and other supporters of the award still are in the process of specifying the criteria. They need to gain feedback from multiple different parties before releasing full details on the certificate to the media.

As of now, the certificate plans to require students to complete certain courses as well as a global service component.

“Our state will also require a capstone project, so the student will develop a question and investigate a global issue, and then get in contact with a journalist, organization or professor to share their work with the expert and discuss their work,” Brady said. “So students can share with the people that are involved in that issue rather than just reporting their work to a teacher.”

Brady also believes that implementing the capstone project can develop interpersonal skills and make their work experience much more authentic.

“It’s not about changing what is taught, it’s how it’s taught,” Brady said. “So it’s a perspective shift, it’s quite another to think about issues like global sustainability for example.”

Central’s math department is already moving toward this mindset by simulating real-life issues rather than providing standard problems.

Math Instructional Coordinator Scott Miller strongly agrees with this new approach, as a person who has experienced life living outside of the U.S.

“We’re trying to involve global connections using types of problems that have global connections to come into a much bigger focus,” Miller said. “It’s about going outside the typical experiences in Naperville.”

The District 203 board meeting will discuss the details of the award and will then enter a comment period for anyone in the public to provide feedback. Then, the Illinois State Board of Education will comment and change anything in the legislation.

“There has to be transparency and time for public to comment,” Smith said.

In late February, the legislation will be reviewed one final time in the Illinois General Assembly before becoming official.

The IGSA is a district-opted opportunity rather than mandated legislation. District 203 has decided to be an early adopter of this certificate after requirements have been finalized.