In a Year 7 (grade 6) Humanities unit, redesigned with a local/global citizenship foundation, conflict and cooperation stopped feeling like opposites. Students met these ideas in the unit’s source material, tracked them across time, tested their own assumptions, listened to real people, and named one concrete way to build a bridge in their own community. The result: layers of real impact for learners and community members.

Now in its third year, the powerful summative assessment in grade 9 Language and Literature at ICS-Addis Ababa continues to shape the school community, impact relationships, and build capacity for connection beyond the school walls.

High school students at the American School in Taichung used deep listening and empathy interviews as a basis to take action in their Business Computing class. This experience led to community building, digital storytelling, and advocacy for shifts in mindsets and behaviours.

At the American International School of Guangzhou, two 8th-grade Language and Literature teachers redesigned a unit rooted in a core text using community engagement and storytelling strategies to connect students, staff members, and the entire school community.