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King School and the Global Citizens Initiative (GCI) celebrated their long-standing partnership at a special event on Wednesday, November 8. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni gathered with members of the GCI network to formally recognize King as one of GCI’s select partner schools. 

“Global Education is deeply connected to King’s identity,” said Laura Bowe, Director of Global Education at King. “Our strong partnerships with organizations such as Global Citizens Initiative foster important connections for a meaningful global experience.”

GCI is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “empower young global citizens from all sectors of society to be lifelong leaders of positive change.” 

Head of School Carol Maoz highlighted the importance of two very aligned missions. “GCI is committed to developing leaders who can make positive change, and King prepares students to thrive in a rapidly changing world.”

GCI’s methodology for fostering global citizenship involves discussion-based learning, design thinking, and human connectivity to develop character, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, and leadership skills for the 21st century. Students participate as fellows, while educators train to incorporate innovation, ethics-based leadership, and a global approach to the curriculum.

Instrumental in creating this partnership nine years ago was world languages teacher Gilles Chosson, who was Director of Global Education at the time. “GCI always felt genuine to me,” Chosson said as he recalled the numerous organizations he considered for a partnership. “It makes me really happy to see that we’ve reached this point.”

David Janes, Executive Director for GCI, noted that since the partnership with King began in 2014, nine King students and four teachers have participated in the program. 

“This relationship is incredibly special to us,” said Janes. “We’re so honored and pleased to be here today to formally celebrate this with all of you,” said Janes.

The celebration event was a chance for the King community to come together and reflect on the impact of the partnership. Students and alumni shared stories about their experiences in the Global Citizen Fellowship, and one educator spoke about how the GCI method has transformed their teaching.

Kiran Rao ’25 was selected as a fellow and traveled to Scotland in the summer. Kiran reflected on how, throughout the program, he was able to establish deep and long-lasting connections with participants from all over the world. Kiran explained that being a global citizen “means understanding how big the world can be and how small you can make it.” He also credited the experience for teaching him “how to be proactive and have agency in this massive world that we live in.” 

Meredith Joo ’23 also traveled to Scotland as a GCI fellow in 2022. Meredith described it as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” “Not only did I learn about how to lead and problem solve, I also got to collaborate with very impressive and inspiring peers from all over the world.”

Will Hall-Tipping ’20 participated as a GCI fellow in 2019. He has remained connected to peers from all over the world and is participating in a GCI alumni networking that aims to help GCI alumni figure out “how to take our global interests and find a balance between what we love and where we see ourselves.”

Teacher Librarian Kim Klein was energized by her experience with GCI. Klein reflected on key takeaways that included using a global lens with a local focus, experiencing the design thinking process and figuring out how to bring it into the classroom, looking at other viewpoints, learning empathy, and empowering students to use their voices. 

The partnership between King School and GCI is a testament to both organizations’ commitment to empowering young people to be global citizens and lifelong leaders of positive change.