School Extra Credit

∼Reasons to Give Your Student Extra Credit for Working on the Global Challenge∼

Global Challenge Award is a non-profit, online educational program for high school students, funded in part by the National Science Foundation.  Students can participate in 4-student international teams that work together on a challenge competition (the GBP - Global Business Plan or TIP - Technical Innovation Plan) and/or they can work individually on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Explorations that cover a wide range of topics and introduce students to new Internet tools and resources. 

Your student has found and registered for our program.  Here are some reasons why you might consider giving them extra credit for pursuing this independent, self-directed learning program:

➢    They took the initiative to find this online science and technology program on their own.

➢    They are working on their own time, outside of traditional school programs, to complete the program.

➢    They are learning to understand science and technology concepts relative to the “big” picture of how science interacts with society.

➢    The program will help them meet educational standards for science in your country. We have mapped program activities to some educational standards applicable in the U.S. (Mapping to international standards like the International Baccalaureate Curriculum and country specific educational standards will be added soon).   See how the GBP, TIP and STEM Explorations correlate with U.S. National Science Education Standards and U.S. AP Environmental Science Standards.

➢    They are acquiring the capability to work in virtual global teams across cultures and time zones.

➢    They are acquiring 21st century knowledge and skills that will help them succeed in the global workforce.

➢    They are learning to use new Internet tools, like VoiceThread and Skype.

➢    They are connecting with others who are interested in and concerned about climate change and the future of energy.

➢    You can request to see work your student has submitted as part of this program at any time.

Please take a look at our GBP Challenges, TIP Challenges and STEM Explorations.   If you are interested in learning about ways in which you can introduce other students to this program, see our For Teachers page.