Global Citizens
beginning of time is , “ focus on your customers ,” or “ understand your customer ’ s problems .” That axiom made sense when all your clients were local . If you had an education company in downtown Phoenix , it ’ s most likely your customers were school districts in the Phoenix metropolitan area or even the state of Arizona . Today , with the access to the world ’ s information and products , the world becomes your potential customers ! Customers are no longer local . Also , competition can come from anywhere in the world . Gone soon are organizations that do not compete on a global scale . Even Paul Bond Boots , a small rural cowboy boot store in Nogales , Arizona , has a global customer base ! Companies like Google , Facebook , Amazon , and others who are U . S . - based , operate 24 hours a day on a global scale .
In education , we often talk about how critical it is to teach our students the “ Four C ’ s ”: communication , collaboration , critical thinking , and creativity . While I agree these are essential competencies our students should master , what we miss in this discussion is an emphasis on another important skill , global competency . There is a good chance our students will work for a global organization at some point in their careers .
Even if a graduate never works abroad or for a global organization , we still need to expose students to learning global competency skills . Since its inception , the United States has been comprised of people from all over the world . Whether you just arrived in the U . S . or are the fifteenth generation , all of us have one common characteristic : we all have a first-generation story . And it doesn ’ t look like this trend is slowing . The U . S . continues to become more diverse . For example , one in four students in our public-school system is Latino , and that includes states like North Dakota and Vermont ! If you look at states like California , Arizona , and Florida , for example , it ’ s already more than one in four . By the year 2045 , the U . S . will be a “ minority majority ” country , meaning there will be more Americans who identify as minorities as a group than whites . My daughter , who is three years old , belongs to that generation .
Organizations who will thrive in this global , diverse economy will understand how not only having a diverse workforce will be a competitive advantage but having a workforce that understands and appreciates people from other cultures and one that can identify and acknowledge different points of view will stay relevant . Companies who focus on awareness and understanding of cultural issues at home and around the world will continue to expand and remain competitive . Having this knowledge and understanding will help organizations to design products and services that appeal to a culturally diverse , global audience .
What is a Globally-Competent Student ?
Globally-competent students can see and understand the interconnectivity and interdependence between what we do here in the United States and the rest of the world . It means they will know how problems facing the rest of the world impact us here at home and vice versa . Students who are globally competent have in-depth knowledge and understanding of international issues , an appreciation of people from culturally diverse backgrounds , and the knowledge , skills , and experiences to call themselves global citizens . Most American students and especially low-income minority students are behind their peers in other countries in their knowledge and understanding of world issues , world geography , and cultural understanding and experiences .
We like to ask our students , “ What do you want to be when you grow up ?” I do not believe that is the right question . First , all the labor forecasts predict that most jobs of the future are not defined yet . Second , we already have jobs most students wouldn ’ t recognize , like “ Bio-Medical Engineer ” or “ Sustainable Mate-
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