Washington State Coalition for International Education announces:

Northwest News Editors/Reporter Education Editors/Reporters

The Washington State Coalition for International Education in the 21st Century invites media participation and coverage of the following event:

"Building Global Relationships"
Second Annual Preschool – Graduate School (P-20)
International Education Summit for Washington State

WHEN: Wednesday, October 27, 2004, 9:30 am to 7:00 pm
WHERE: Red Lion Hotel in Olympia, Washington
              2300 Evergreen Park Drive/360-943-4000

Key leaders from the state's political, educational and business communities will join more than one hundred teachers, administrators, parents and students for a one-day summit dedicated to preparing Washington's students for success in today’s interconnected world.

Current list of special guests and presenters includes:
*Terry Bergeson, Superintendent of Public Instruction for Washington
*Bill Center, President of the Washington Council on International Trade
*Kim Corrigan, Director of Education Outreach, Positive Futures Network and YES! magazine
*Karen Kodama, Principal of Seattle’s John Stanford International School, winner of the 2003 Goldman Sachs Award for Excellence in International Education
*Lorelei Kelly, co-author of Policy Matters: Educating Congress on Peace and Security
*Caleb Perkins, Social Studies and International Education Supervisor, OSPI
*Kristi Rennenbohm Franz, Education Consultant, International Education and Resource Network (iEARN)

For more information contact: Dr. Michele Anciaux Aoki, Director of Educational Programs - Global Classroom at the World Affairs Council Seattle at 206-234-4029. http://internationaledwa.org/summit.htm.

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COALITION TELLS WASHINGTON TEACHERS TO "GO GLOBAL"

This is an era of globalization. Whether it's information technology, health education and humanitarian outreach, economic development, security issues or military involvement overseas, the interconnectedness of America and the rest of the world has never been stronger. In Washington State, where children from hundreds of different countries attend the state's public schools and one in three jobs is connected to international trade, learning to build effective global relationships is vital to our future.

The state’s second P-20 International Education Summit will bring together teachers, students, parents, non-profit organizations, policy makers and business leaders to support international education and partnerships in schools and communities across the state on Wednesday, October 27th, 2004 at the Red Lion Hotel in Olympia, Washington from 9:30 am – 7:00 pm. The Summit is free and open to the public. The “Global Relationships” luncheon costs $25. Registration is available online (http://internationaledwa.org/summit.htm) and at the door.

The Summit's workshops will address a broad range of issues in international education including the role of technology in and out of the classroom, the importance of global studies to the business community and its impact on the state's economy, an assessment of where, when, and how world languages are being taught in the state, how to meet state standards through classroom-based assessments in Social Studies, how to teach about trade and globalization, and the strategies for successful political advocacy for international education.

The summit will also offer participants the opportunity to gather materials for teaching and learning about building global partnerships at an all-day Resource Fair featuring dozens of local groups and organizations committed to international education. A "Washington in the World" reception from 5pm to 7 pm, co-sponsored by NAFSA (Association of International Educators) will mark the beginning of NAFSA’s Region 1 Conference and provide time for participants to network with elected officials, candidates, business leaders, community organizers, education advocates, teachers, administrators, parents, and students.

The Summit is funded by a grant from the Asia Society and Longview Foundation as part of the National Coalition on International Education's States Innovations Grant Program. NAFSA (Association of International Educators) has provided major in-kind support. Other co-sponsors include the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Associates in Cultural Exchange, the World Affairs Council – Global Classroom, Facing the Future: People and Planet, YES! Magazine, and numerous other organizations. A donation of $1,200 by Davis Wright Tremaine LLP and transportation funded by the UW Jackson School Middle East Center will make it possible for 40 high school student leaders from the OneWorld Now! language and leadership program in Seattle to participate.

The Washington State Coalition for International Education in the 21st Century is a broad network of individuals and organizations committed to international education and affiliated with the National Coalition on International Education. The Washington State Coalition has defined International Education as “learning the knowledge and skills needed to understand and function productively in today’s interconnected world” recognizing that learning takes place in the schools, at home, in local communities, and across the globe. In the school setting it entails knowledge of geography, history, economics, science and the environment, as well as language and culture.

Contact:
Michele Anciaux Aoki, 206-234-4029, michele@internationaledwa.org

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