The Global Village Project Inc

THE GLOBAL VILLAGE PROJECT, INC. IS AN INNOVATIVE SPECIAL PURPOSE SCHOOL FOR REFUGEE GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN WITH INTERRUPTED SCHOOLING. THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION IS TO DEVELOP A STRONG EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR EACH STUDENT WITHIN A CARING COMMUNITY USING A STRENGTHS-BASED APPROACH AND INTENSIVE INSTRUCTION IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERACY, ACADEMIC SUBJECTS, AND THE ARTS.

THE 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR BEGAN IN AUGUST WITH 42 STUDENTS - 22 NEW AND 20 RETURNING. THIS YEAR, LIKE EVERY YEAR, ORIENTING THE FORM ONE STUDENTS TO HOW WE "DO" SCHOOL WAS A BIG FOCUS OF ATTENTION. OUR 12 SETS OF SISTERS POSED A PARTICULAR CHALLENGE. IN THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF SCHOOL, HAVING THEIR SISTERS IN THE SAME CLASSROOM WAS A SOURCE OF COMFORT. AS THEY SETTLED DOWN, REALIZING THAT OLDER AND YOUNGER SISTERS WERE IN THE SAME CLASS BECAME A SOURCE OF FRUSTRATION FOR STUDENTS, A REALITY WHICH UNDERSCORED OUR GROWING NEED FOR MORE CLASSROOM SPACE THAT ENABLES SOCIAL AND ACADEMIC DIFFERENTIATION. THIS YEAR, STUDENTS LEARNED FOUR INTERDISCIPLINARY UNITS: WELCOME UNIT (WHICH ORIENTATES STUDENTS TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY AND EACH OTHER), MIGRATIONS, WORLD TALES AND THE MARKETS UNIT, NEW THIS YEAR. IN THE MIGRATIONS UNIT, STUDENTS EXAMINED HUMAN MIGRATION AND ANIMAL MIGRATION AS ADAPTATIONS TO CHANGING ECOSYSTEMS. STUDENTS STUDIED PUSH/PULL FACTORS AS REASONS LIVING THINGS MIGRATE. SOME STUDENTS STUDIED ANIMALS SUCH AS MONARCH BUTTERFLIES, PENGUINS, AND WILDEBEESTS. OTHERS STUDIED HISTORICAL MIGRATIONS SUCH AS THE SILK ROAD, AMERICAN MIGRATION, AND THE SLAVE TRADE. THESE UNITS WERE BOLSTERED BY SPECIALS: A 12-WEEK-LONG CURRICULUM ON WOMEN'S HEALTH, SEVEN WEEKS OF INSTRUMENT LESSONS FOR THE UKULELE, THE KEYBOARD, AND AFRICAN DRUMS. REVVED UP KIDS, A LOCAL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, GAVE OUR GIRLS A LESSON IN SELF DEFENSE. THE GIRLS RECEIVED 32 WEEKS OF SPORTS EDUCATION WITH AN EMPHASIS ON SOCCER. THEY PARTICIPATED IN INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP COUNSELING, STEAM, AND SOCIAL STUDIES INSTRUCTION. A VISITING ARTIST AT THE HIGH MUSEUM OF ART, TANYA AGUIIGA, CONDUCTED AN ART-MAKING SESSION, MAKING PAPEL PICADO - A MEXICAN FOLK ART FORM - WITH THE STUDENTS. THREE STUDENTS' WORK WAS SELECTED TO BE A PART OF AN EXHIBIT AT THE HIGH MUSEUM STARTING IN MAY. AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, CAREER WEEK BROUGHT IN OVER A DOZEN PROFESSIONALS FROM A WIDE RANGE OF FIELDS TO TALK ABOUT THEIR CAREERS. STUDENTS LEARNED ABOUT INTERNAL MEDICINE, DENTISTRY, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND ENGINEERING. FLIGHT ATTENDANTS FROM DELTA AIR LINES TALKED ABOUT AND DEMONSTRATED THE MULTIPLE SKILLS THEY MUST HAVE AS PART OF THEIR JOBS, GIVING STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN HOW TO GIVE CPR AND HOW TO USE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. AS PART OF OUR YEARS-LONG PARTNERSHIP WITH PLAYMAKING FOR GIRLS, STUDENTS ALSO LISTENED TO SEVERAL GUEST SPEAKERS AND INSTRUCTORS INCLUDING A TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA CLASS. ANOTHER ORGANIZATION, PAINT LOVE, DELIVERED A MULTI-WEEK VISUAL ART INSTRUCTION SESSION. GVP WAS FEATURED IN THE PUBLICATION OF THE BOOK, MAKING AMERICANS: STORIES OF HISTORIC STRUGGLES, NEW IDEAS, AND INSPIRATION IN IMMIGRANT EDUCATION. THE BOOK WEAVES CAPTIVATING STORIES ABOUT THE PAST, PRESENT, AND PERSONAL INTO AN INSPIRING VISION FOR HOW AMERICA CAN EDUCATE IMMIGRANT STUDENTS AND IN IT, GVP'S MODEL WAS PRESENTED AS A REPLICABLE MODEL FOR EDUCATORS AND POLICY-MAKERS. THE NUMBER OF LEARNING SCHOLARS WE WELCOME AT OUR SCHOOL EVERY YEAR IS A TESTAMENT TO THE GROWING DEMAND FOR EFFECTIVE MODELS OF INTERRUPTED EDUCATION. IT ALSO ENABLES US TO FULFILL OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITY TO REPLICATE OUR MISSION BY EDUCATING EDUCATORS. THIS YEAR, THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY, WE WELCOMED THREE FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS: ONE EACH FROM TANZANIA, MYANMAR AND THAILAND. THEY SPENT TWO WEEKS IN OUR CLASSROOMS TO LEARN ABOUT THE GVP APPROACH. THE FULBRIGHT PROGRAM IS THE U.S.GOVERNMENT'S FLAGSHIP INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM. WE ALSO WELCOMED A DELEGATION OF JORDANIAN EDUCATORS. THE GROUP WAS PART OF A U.S DEPARTMENT OF STATE GRANT PROGRAM THAT CREATED A PARTNERSHIP WITH FACULTY FROM GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY (GSU) AND UNIVERSITY OF NORTH GEORGIA (UNG) FOR THE PRIOR TEN MONTHS. DURING THAT TIME, 40 ENGLISH TEACHERS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED AND UNDERDEVELOPED SCHOOLS IN JORDAN WERE SELECTED TO TAKE PART IN TEACHING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (TEFL) ONLINE COURSES DURING FALL 2021 AND SPRING 2022.THE FOURTH PILLAR OF GVP STRATEGIC PLAN FOCUSES ON SHARING OUR MODEL. TEACHER EXCHANGES LIKE THESE, COUPLED WITH GVP'S INVESTMENTS IN OUR OWN TEACHERS ARE WAYS IN WHICH WE SHARE AND EXPAND THE MESSAGE AND IMPACT OF OUR MISSION. ALONG THOSE SAME LINES, WE CREATED AND HAVE PUBLISHED ON OUR WEBSITE, A DOCUMENTATION OF OUR MODEL, WHICH CAN SERVE AS A GUIDE FOR OTHER EDUCATORS TEACHING CHILDREN WITH INTERRUPTED EDUCATION. AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, WE BEGAN THE INTAKE PROCESS FOR NEXT YEAR'S COHORT. ALREADY, WE HAVE 43 APPLICANTS TO FILL 20 OPEN SPACES. WE EXPECT 23 STUDENTS TO RETURN, FOR A TOTAL STUDENT BODY OF 43. LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR, WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR OUR SCHOOL. A NEW, LARGER SCHOOL BUS, MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM THE RUTH S. COLEMAN CHARITABLE FUND, WILL ENABLE US TO TRANSPORT STUDENTS TO SCHOOL IN ONE RUN, PROVIDING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HAVE A MORE EFFICIENT SCHOOL DAY. THE ACQUISITION OF A NEW BUS WILL ALLOW FOR FEWER COSTS FOR BUS RENTALS FOR WHOLE-SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS AND, FROM A STUDENT'S PERSPECTIVE, "WE CAN RIDE WITH OUR FRIENDS ON THE SAME BUS EVERY DAY." THAT'S SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO