Global SchoolNet Foundation (GSN ) with support from the U.S. Department of State have announced the 2012 “Doors to Diplomacy” award competition aimed at recognizing the student-created Global SchoolNet Web projects that best teach others about the importance of international affairs and diplomacy. Middle school and high school students from around the world are invited to work in small teams with teacher-coaches.
For this purpose the teams need to first register for the competition, and then develop the project to align with the Doors to Diplomacy goals. Then they conduct research and build web pages followed by review of the evaluation rubric. In the end the project must be uploaded online on any server.
Global SchoolNet Foundation is a non-profit educational organization linking classrooms around the world since 1984. GSN creates educational programs that engage students in meaningful content and personal exchanges with people around the world – in order to develop literacy and communication skills, create multi-cultural understanding, and prepare youth for full participation as productive and effective citizens in an increasing global economy.
Components of the Competition
There are four components to the Doors to Diplomacy challenge.
Collaborative Web Project: Doors to Diplomacy is a collaborative project, where small teams are formed consisting of two to four student members and up to two adult “coaches.” Research can be conducted both online and offline, and then the findings are assembled to produce an educational web project. Students are also encouraged to become spokespersons for their projects.
Project Narrative: Each Doors to Diplomacy project also includes a Project Narrative that explains how the project has been organized, what challenges had to be overcome, and how the project supported local content standards. Many wonderful community building success stories often emerge from these “behind the scenes” narratives.
Peer Review Process: As part of the competition, teams must also participate in a Peer Review activity, in which they evaluate at least four other projects, using a web-based evaluation rubric.
Awards: Each student team member of the winning “Doors to Diplomacy” Award team receives a $2,000 scholarship, and the winning coaches’ schools each receive a $500 cash award.
Last date for registering the project is March 7, 2012.
For more information, visit this link.
