Celebrate International Education Week!
November 18-22, 2002 

Former President Bill Clinton stated in his memorandum on international education “to compete successfully in the global economy and to maintain our role as a world leader, the United States needs to ensure that its citizens develop a broad understanding of the world, proficiency in other languages, and knowledge of other cultures.”  International Education Week, a partnership of the U.S. Departments of State and Education, was created in 2000 to support programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and to attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States.  Below are statements from Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and Secretary of Education Rod Paige, and a list of suggested activities for K-12 schools and colleges.  The information below, as well as additional information can be found on the International Education Week website: http://exchanges.state.gov/iew/index.htm

Statement on International Education Week 2002 from Secretary of State Colin L. Powell
August 2002
As Secretary of State I see the benefits of international education and exchanges every day. A member of my personal staff is a Fulbright alumnus, my British counterpart and I are shadowed for a day each year by students from our respective countries, in my daily activities I encounter world leaders—from Kofi Annan to Hamid Karzai—who participated in an exchange program or studied here or abroad. 

It is with particular pleasure, that I take this opportunity to celebrate international education and exchanges during International Education Week, November 18-22, 2002, and join the Department of Education in highlighting the benefits of our programs. 

As we work to end the scourge of terrorism, let us also work to increase peace, prosperity and democracy. We can do this through international programs that promote the exchange of ideas and the sharing of experiences. These programs give us insight into other languages and cultures and in the process build long lasting relationships among peoples based on mutual understanding, respect and trust. 

People-to-people diplomacy, created through international education and exchanges, is critical to our national interests. Americans who study abroad expand their global perspective and become more internationally engaged. Foreign students and individuals who participate in citizen exchanges return home with a greater knowledge of our democratic institutions, and America's enduring values.  

The Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, through its exchange programs, is connecting with people at all levels of society with a particular emphasis on the successor generation, young people who have the potential to become leaders within their communities and countries. Your strong efforts will ensure we will succeed on their behalf.  

Together, throughout the world, as we commemorate the nation's third International Education Week, we are affirming that education is a common value - a positive path that can lead to a more secure future for all citizens. I invite you, individually and as institutions, to continue your good work, embracing the spirit of positive change through international education.

Statement on International Education Week 2002 by Secretary of Education Rod Paige
August 2002
I am pleased to invite you to participate in the third annual International Education Week, November 18–22, 2002, jointly sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Education.  

During this week, we will emphasize the importance of increasing student knowledge and awareness of the world's cultures, peoples, and languages. We also recognize the necessity of bringing an international perspective into American classrooms.  

This initiative is part of our effort to encourage policies and programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and acknowledge the importance of building ties with our international partners. 

During the past year, it has become very clear that broadening our international understanding is critical. This will mean renewed efforts to encourage the study of foreign languages and cultures, and to provide opportunities for all students to broaden their knowledge of the world. 

As Americans begin to reevaluate our assumptions about the impact of international relations on our daily lives, we realize that the task of diplomacy belongs not only to governments, but to individuals as well. Each of us is an ambassador when we interact with our global neighbors. Thus, giving our children a solid education, which includes the skills they will need to succeed in a global context, is essential.  

International education not only promotes mutual understanding and cooperation among nations, it can also strengthen national security, foreign policy, and economic competitiveness. Indeed, our quality of education and life will be enhanced by learning foreign languages and by facilitating international exchanges for students and teachers. 

International Education Week is a good opportunity for individuals and institutions to promote and celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange. I welcome the participation of schools, colleges and universities, embassies, international organizations, businesses, and associations. 

Participation can include supporting an international pen-pal program at your local school; inviting speakers with international experience (such as a returned Peace Corps volunteer or member of the Foreign Service) to share their experiences at a school assembly or civic group; or asking your mayor or governor to issue a proclamation to commemorate International Education Week.  

Other suggestions for how to participate in this year's International Education Week can be found at http://exchanges.state.gov/iew. However you choose to commemorate International Education Week, I hope you will find it a rewarding experience.

Suggested Activities for K–12 Schools

• Incorporate information on a country or culture into your regular lesson plan, even if you don't teach social studies.
  
• Adopt a school in a developing country and donate school supplies, reference materials, and other items.
  
• Trade questions and answers with students from another country through the Internet, pen pal clubs, or a Digital Video Conference.
  
• Explore international aspects of the arts—music, film, theatre, visual arts, literature, dance—by creating, performing, or studying artworks with an     international component. This could include a field trip to a museum or concert or showing a foreign film in class.
  
• Organize a cross-cultural potluck lunch in which students bring in or make foods from their homeland or ancestors' homeland.
  
• Feature local international experts as speakers: Fulbright Scholars, former diplomats or Peace Corps volunteers, business leaders working for       multi-national corporations, or journalists.
  
• Participate in a Model UN.
  
• Ask students to write an essay on a country they would like to visit and why.
  
• Assign students to produce a video or website about their cross-cultural experiences. The video could explore issues of cultural idiosyncrasies,       stereotypes, and/or their own experiences in another culture.
  
• Hold a Geography, Foreign Language, or World History Bee for your students.

Suggested Activities for Colleges and Universities

• Host an International Career Day by inviting alumni and/or local international experts as speakers.
  

• Organize a symposium on campus or in your community on an "international" theme. Some ideas include:
              International education as the key to homeland security
              The importance of foreign language study
              International exchange and study abroad opportunities
              The internationalization of higher education
              The global classroom: Internet exchange, distance learning, etc.
              Intercultural communication
              Dealing with Culture Shock
  

• Recruit local professionals with overseas experience (Fulbright Scholars, former diplomats or Peace Corps volunteers, business leaders working for multi-national corporations, or journalists) to talk about international careers and the importance of international education and exchange. This can be as formal as a panel presentation or speech or as informal as a coffee hour or brown bag lunch.
  

• Produce and screen a video about the experiences of international students on your campus and/or students back from a semester or year abroad.
  

• Organize a festival which spotlights a particular country or region. In addition to films, live performances, or art exhibits, include interactive elements such as teaching students how to cook food of the country, learn a traditional dance, or the basics of the language.
  

• Host a Quiz Bowl on international affairs, geography, or world history.
  

• Participate in a Model UN or play host to a high school Model UN.