By Magdalena Kala '08
What country can you walk across in one day? How long did the shortest war on the record lasted? Which nation in the world consumes more Coca-Cola per capita than any other? While our lives will never rely on the knowledge of such world trivia, we usually find it enjoyable to learn and share it with others. The interest should, however, stretch to more serious issues that every well educated person should be interested to learn about and understand.
In today's interconnected world, it is impossible to separate ourselves from the global society; we are inevitably a part of it, and we should be able to bear the associated responsibilities. Thus, it is essential for this generation to gain greater global awareness and understanding that will help us face the challenges yet to come. The opening sentence of the mission statement declares: "Mercersburg Academy prepares young men and women from diverse backgrounds for college and for life in a global community." Recognizing the importance of gaining a cosmopolitan worldview, Mercersburg Academy has made an ambitious goal of offering the best possible curriculum for students to become true global citizens, and constantly strives to meet it.
Global awareness is one of the objective areas of Accreditation for Growth, the school's effort to improve student performance in areas allied with core values. As Peter Kempe, the head of the global awareness implementation team states, "We have always been globally aware and internationally connected, and we have celebrated and appreciated the many cultures and countries our students represent. The "global awareness" objective simply focuses on a more deliberate approach and commitment to global education."
One of the major steps in the process will be initiated on Wednesday, January 30, when J. Nathan Corbitt will deliver an extended Community Gathering on global awareness. Corbitt is an author of the Global Awareness Profile (GAP), as well as a professor of cross-cultural studies at Eastern University. Furthermore, he is a co-founder of BuildaBridge International, a cross-cultural non-profit educational organization. Following Corbitt's talk, all students will take the one-hour GAP and participate in some fun activities and special treats from the dining hall (details to be announced).
The GAP is a challenging, yet interesting set of questions in five categories based on common knowledge of the world; it is designed to give a representation of one’s global awareness. There are no grades or any other consequences associated with it. It is more of a "global-info challenge" revealing a person’s level of global awareness. It will also provide baseline global fluency data, which will help determine future actions to improve our performance and in assess the effectiveness of our programs. After all, that is what the endeavor is all about—raising students' global awareness. So... how much do you know about the world?