CURRENT RESEARCH

Global and Intercultural Competence Education

Nurturing local and global citizens, across ages, in schools and museums around the world.

In response to a complex process of globalization and rising social fragmentation, Project Zero is advancing foundational work on global and intercultural competence as a desirable educational aim for our changing times. We ask:

What kinds of global and intercultural capacities enable people to navigate diversity, interdependence, and uncertainty?
Why are these capacities essential for social cohesion, democratic participation, and collective problem-solving? How can they be nurtured and assessed?
How early in life could we begin to educate for global competence?
What do we learn from working closely with experienced educators across contexts and institutions over time?
What professional learning experiences support educators best?
What do we learn from educating for global competence across ages, world regions, and kinds of educational and cultural institutions?

In an increasingly interdependent and fragmented world, our frameworks seek to advance a new educational agenda that views children and youth as active participants in their local communities, their nation, and the world. We do so by partnering closely with researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to advance frameworks, pedagogies, tools, and publications that leading educators in innovative and high-impact institutions can use at local, national, and international levels.

Working across sectors, our research has advanced innovations in public school districts (Portland, Maine; Washington D.C.; Buenos Aires); school networks (International Baccalaureate; AFS International; Weiming Schools, China); museums (National Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution); early childhood (U.S., Japan, Greece, Argentina, Vietnam); and international assessment providing the foundation to the OECD-PISA Global Competence Framework.

We invite you to explore our selected projects and resources below.