WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Students from inner city New York and rural Texas explore solutions to one of the biggest global health crises of their generation -- HIV/AIDS -- with their counterparts in Ho Chi Minh City. Elementary school students in a Portland, OR, spend half their day learning in Japanese, while in two high schools in Newton, MA, students are exposed to Chinese culture throughout the curriculum. In both schools, students have the option of putting their language skills to the test by spending several weeks abroad.
These examples are among those recognized in this year's The Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes for Excellence in International Education, a national initiative which has drawn over 500 applications from schools in more than thirty states since its inception in 2003. Schools and organizations in the applicant pool reach over 20 million students and families worldwide, in an effort to make international knowledge and skills a key part of a 21st century education.
This year's winners of the awards program, sponsored by The Goldman Sachs Foundation and Asia Society, will be honored at a ceremony tonight in Washington, D.C. The winners, who will receive $25,000 in each of five categories, are:
Elementary/Middle School: Richmond Elementary Japanese Magnet Program, Portland, OR, a premiere immersion model of early language learning where students -- the majority from non- Japanese homes -- learn how to speak Japanese and understand Japanese culture beginning in kindergarten. High School: Newton North and Newton South High Schools, Newton, MA, home of the longest-running student and teacher exchange program with China, and a new resource for schools nationwide looking to replicate valuable study abroad experiences. Higher Education: Indiana University, a leading example of how universities can help the next generation of teachers be prepared to teach about the world through its teaching abroad programs and for working with schools throughout the state. State -- co-winners: Delaware is preparing a standards-based curriculum that will integrate international content across the major subject areas; and Kentucky, which recently launched a virtual high school to offer a range of international courses, including Chinese language instruction to students statewide. Media and Technology: Global Nomads Group, NY, a non-profit that connects kids from around the world through videoconferencing to discuss current issues -- from HIV-AIDS to conflict resolution -- and build cross-cultural communication skills.
"If young Americans are to take on challenging global leadership roles, they must possess a deep understanding of and appreciation for other cultures, economies, history and languages. The award recipients are equipping the next generation with critical international knowledge and skills," said Stephanie Bell-Rose, President of The Goldman Sachs Foundation.
The awardees reflect new ways of teaching world languages and focus on the international dimension of every major subject, including math, science, languages arts, history, geography and economics. They also feature creative and innovative uses of technology. Their programs seek to address topical headline issues such as terrorism, the environment, the spread of HIV/AIDS, and globalization, among other issues. Language training, study abroad and teacher exchange programs are also supplemented with multi-media presentations, international student e-mail correspondence, online research and Internet-based virtual classrooms.
The international education awards program is a practical response to growing concern voiced by business leaders and policy makers over U.S.students' comparatively weak performance in assessments of their knowledge of other world regions, languages and cultures.
"These schools are breaking new ground at an historic moment," said Michael Levine, Executive Director of Education at the Asia Society. "In a global age where security, competitiveness and democratic leadership depend on constructive engagement, our nation must take urgent action so that our international knowledge and language expertise is second to none," said Levine.
About The Goldman Sachs Foundation
The Goldman Sachs Foundation is a global philanthropic organization funded by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. The Foundation's mission is to promote excellence and innovation in education and to improve the academic performance and lifelong productivity of young people worldwide. It achieves this mission through a combination of strategic partnerships, grants, loans, private sector investments, and the deployment of professional talent from Goldman Sachs. Funded in 1999, the Foundation has awarded grants in excess of $62 million since its inception, providing opportunities for young people in more than 20 countries.
About Asia Society
Asia Society is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening relationships and deepening understanding among the peoples of Asia and the United States. The Society operates cultural, policy, business, social issues, and education programs. Through its Asia and International Studies in the Schools initiative, Asia Society's education division is promoting teaching and learning about world regions, cultures, and languages in K-12 schools by raising awareness and advancing policy, developing practical models of international education in the schools, and strengthening relationships between U.S. and Asian education leaders. Headquartered in New York City, the organization has centers in Hong Kong, Houston, Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, San Francisco, Shanghai and Washington, D.C., and will open a center in Mumbai in 2006.
www.asiasociety.org, www.askasia.org, www.internationaled.org