September 14, 2025

Dear Educator, 

Being a student in 2025 is not easy. On top of all the usual pressures, students are being asked to keep up with a changing world that even the experts find challenging to navigate. 

There is an acute need to prepare students to actively participate as citizens of this country and the world. While there is no one-size-fits-all formula, educators can prepare their students by ensuring they are globally literate. 

What exactly is global literacy? At the Council on Foreign Relations, we believe global literacy is the ability to understand and engage effectively in today’s interconnected world. It consists of three pillars: knowledge, skills, and perspective.

To read the full definition of global literacy and learn more about why it is integral to a 21st-century education, check out this blog post. 

CFR Education's nonpartisan, multimedia resources were created to cultivate global literacy. Continue reading to learn how this is done and how you can build global literacy in your classrooms. 

Happy learning, 

Caroline Netchvolodoff 

Vice President, Education 

Council on Foreign Relations 

Pillar 1: Knowledge

Knowledge refers to having a foundational understanding of the issues, forces, and actors that shape today’s world. 

Students who are globally literate understand that: 

• the world is increasingly connected, and what happens in distant places often affects Americans’ everyday lives (this resource explores how events like COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine affected the production of items like cars and phones);
  
  
• the actions and reactions of the people and government leaders in countries across the world shape global affairs (this reading explains how the act of one individual in Tunisia sparked revolutions across the Middle East); and
  
  
• global policy is formed through collaborative processes that engage diverse and sometimes competing interests, values, and perspectives (have your students watch this five minute video to learn how two major foreign treaties were made).

Pillar 2: Skills 

Skills refer to the ability to comprehend, communicate about, and address complex international challenges collaboratively and effectively.

Students who are globally literate will be able to: 

• identify key global actors, policies, and issues, as well as explain their impact on global politics and events (this activity asks students to consider different scenarios and decide which branch of the U.S. government plays a role);
  
  

• collaborate with others to formulate practical responses to global challenges (engage students by asking them to work together to design and film public-facing awareness videos regarding greenhouse gas emissions); and

   

• analyze the historical, geographic, and political context behind global events and issues (take thirty minutes and have students identify patterns and underlying themes of historical and modern day conflicts).

Pillar 3: Perspective

Perspective refers to an understanding of and respect for differing viewpoints and priorities.

Students who are globally literate will be able to: 

• identify nuances in global issues;
• understand global affairs from the point of view of others;

• comprehend the global affairs policymaking process; and

• appreciate that they are part of a global community with a shared future.

While all CFR Education resources help strengthen students' perspectives, simulations are a go-to for educators who are interested in building respectful civil discourse in the classroom. 

With simulations, your students can play the roles of different decision makers as they grapple with pressing foreign policy issues. Simulations invite students to step into the shoes of NATO leaders discussing whether to allow Ukrainian membership, or National Security Council members as they decide whether to offer protection to Cuban migrants in 1980, or members of the UN Security Council as they deliberate about the current dispute between India and Pakistan. 

Hear from CFR Education Ambassador Eunice Kang of Vanguard University on how she uses simulations to increase student confidence in policy discussions and a deeper appreciation for the complexity of global affairs through simulations.

Council on Foreign Relations. All rights reserved.

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