Global Connections and Exchange (GCE)

Program Overview

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State

IREX administers two Global Connections and Exchange (GCE) programs in Eurasia. Both are programs of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State. GCE is an exciting program that utilizes the potential of technology to bring together teachers and students with their peers around the world.

KEY ISSUES AND OBJECTIVES

Expand opportunities for students and teachers to improve education using computer and Internet resources.
Expose teachers to modern teaching methodologies and interactive lesson plans.
Provide teachers with a forum to exchange ideas with their colleagues nationally and abroad for improving education.
Establish online venues for collaborative student projects, empowering students to share their culture, history, and perspectives with children in the United States and other countries.

Program Activities

Train Master Trainers in online project methodology
Train dozens of teachers in online collaborative projects
Include hundreds of students in online projects, after preparing them to contribute with training in basic computer and Internet skills
Invite the highest-achieving student and teacher participants to a summer conference where they will improve their technology skills further
Send selected teachers to the United States for a three-week exchange in which they will witness firsthand how American teachers use the Internet in the classroom

First implemented by IREX as the School Connectivity project, GCE moves beyond simple connectivity by building the skills of students and the capacity of their teachers. Student groups meet regularly at regional Internet access sites to participate in online collaborative projects which enable them to share their culture, history, and perspectives with children in the United States and other countries. Teachers meet online with their colleagues abroad to discuss teaching methodology and exchange best practices. Meanwhile, all participants gain the valuable computer skills necessary for success in the modern world while enhancing their abilities to communicate in English.

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