Be A Global Citizen!

Toko Itaya is a doctoral student in curriculum studies at DePaul University. She is a Japanese teacher who has taught high school and undergraduate students in Japan, Brazil, and the United States. She shares her humanistic approach to teaching as a way to open up new possibilities through language acquisition. From her own experiences of learning languages, she speaks about the difficulty of learning a language and the joy of unlocking new aspects of one’s identity as a global citizen. 

Alexis Redding is a faculty member at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her research interests include college access, mental health, and human development. After college, she moved to Switzerland and started a tutoring company. Her approach was grounded in a deep commitment to the success of each student and their unique strengths and learning differences. From a decade of tutoring and college counseling, Alexis noticed patterns of behavior where students experienced greater anxiety about what decision they should make. Her research seeks to answer many questions about how teenagers transition from high school to college. Check out what Alexis has to say about being a global citizen!  

Gonzalo Obelleiro is Assistant Professor of Curriculum Studies at DePaul University. His research interests include curriculum theory, philosophy of education, ethics, and cosmopolitanism. He shares his thoughts about global citizenship through his own lived experiences being from Argentina and moving abroad to the United States and Japan. Many of the anecdotes he shares help to explain global citizenship as an ongoing expansion of one’s own identity in relation to culture and society. 

Emma Sherbine is an educator, social media influencer, UN youth representative, and world traveler. She is engaged in digital outreach in Liberia where she carried out her Peace Corp mission. From South Korea to the USA to Uganda to Liberia, her passion to learn from different cultures and peoples has broadened her perspective on what it means to be a global citizen. She speaks about the digital divide in sub saharan Africa. There is a great need to increase access to the internet and leverage technology to bring about greater societal change in countries like Liberia. Emma is committed to make her impact alongside her friends and community in Liberia by continuing her work from the Peace Corp and engaging more start up ventures within edtech. Check out what Emma has to say about being a global citizen!   

Check out what Nitesh Sil has to say about being a global citizen! For the full conversation, you can search for episode 18. Enjoy!

Check out what Lynn Harper has to say about being a global citizen! For the full conversation, you can search for episode 13. Enjoy!

Ryan Hayashi is a math teacher in Arizona with over 13 years of teaching experience. He began his teaching career through Teach for America and was placed in Ciudad Juarez along the US-Mexico border. At the time, New Mexico was ranked 50 out of 50 in terms of its national ranking and the city where his school was located was considered the most dangerous city in the world according to homicide rates. Ryan shares about his initial struggles and doubts as a teacher who was not set up for success. Regardless, he transformed his classroom environment and grew as a teacher together with his students. He draws from his undergraduate experiences at Soka University of America as his inspiration for being a truly humanistic teacher. Check out what Ryan has to say about being a global citizen!

Lisa McMillan Delehoy is a dedicated educator with a passion for designing and delivering curricula that empower and educate young people while fostering intellectual and social-emotional growth. She worked in Japan as a kindergarten teacher and later as a high school teacher. In our conversation, Lisa emphasizes the importance of building trust with young people. She believes that being a global citizen is about learning from others while forging one’s own character. She wants to support young learners to tap into their fullest potential. Check out Lisa’s educator journey from Japan to the US as a global citizen. Enjoy! 

Barbara Best is a community organizer, youth advocate, and system change leader with 25 years of experience in nurturing the power of communities to build a more just and compassionate world for all. Her guiding compass is towards healthy interconnectedness. She serves as Executive Director of Convu, a vibrant community that builds capacity for deep listening and peer coaching in schools, workplaces, and communities. In this wonderful dialogue, Barbara shares her personal motivations and values that anchor her in the work of serving communities in need of important resources such as health care coverage. In her pursuit to build stronger root systems, she found her passion in the education space to bridge gaps between youth activism, peer coaching and community building. Don’t miss out on what Barbara has to say about the intersections between being a compassionate listener and a courageous global citizen! 

Happy 5 year anniversary to Be A Global Citizen! Check out this reflection where I share the origins of the podcast, the evolution of the podcast and myself as a podcaster, and the future of it! I wish to express my deep appreciation to all my listeners and supporters.