Follow along as Mrs. Harrington travels “From Bethel to Australia”

Follow along on Instagram (@frombetheltoaustralia) as Ms. Harrington travels with #goglobalnc educators to explore a new culture on a different continent, plus snorkel the Great Barrier Reef.

Go Global NC’s Global Teachers program, founded in 1995, provides professional development to K-12 teachers from across North Carolina through an in-depth learning experience about the history, culture, and environment of other countries. Teachers from all grade levels and subject areas use their global experiences to ignite an interesting global engagement and cooperation among their students and their communities. Go Global NC has taken more than 1100 educators to 19 different countries since 1995.

This amazing program “down under” offers the opportunity to explore a country that is diverse in many ways – culture, population, climate, geography, and history. While Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have inhabited the continent since about 50,000-60,0000 years ago, Europeans only arrived in the 17th century, beginning Australia’s colonial history. Today, Australia could be considered a nation of immigrants, with more than 270 ethnic groups calling the island nation home. Australia is similarly diverse in terms of climate and native species. While most of Australia is arid and semi-arid, it is also home to a tropical rainforest in the north. An island continent, Australia is home to a wide variety of native species found nowhere else on the planet. Similar in size to the continental United States, Australia only has a population of approximately 25 million, and parts of the country are sparsely populated, which can make the provision of education and other services challenging. These characteristics help make Australia an ideal place for Go Global NC to host an experiential learning journey, Global Teachers – Australia 2020, designed for North Carolina K-12 teachers from all grade levels and subject areas.

GOALS
1. Learn about Australia’s unique history, culture, and physical environment
2. Explore native peoples’ rights by comparing and contrasting the experiences of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders peoples and our own Native American populations
3. Study the impact of a warming sea on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and the Australian government’s response
4. Experience Australia’s approach to rural education, gaining insight into how Australia provides high-quality education to students who live great distances from the nearest town
5. Network and collaborate with other program participants to discuss and develop ways to implement global perspectives and global education into the classroom

Ms. Amy Harrington is most excited to explore and compare the terrain, climate, flora, fauna, and overall biodiversity of a new continent to her area in western NC. It especially interests her to learn how Australians are navigating climate change and its effects on the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem, as well as how they effectively use their natural resources. Amy’s main goal, throughout and after traveling, is to immerse her students in the experience, and she looks forward to developing lasting connections with other local and international educators who will challenge her to learn and grow as a teacher and person.