About Us
About Global Water Link
The GWL pilot project started the 2014-2015 academic year, and includes two middle school biology teachers, one working in Salinas, California, the other in Yaoundé, Cameroon, a country off the coast of West Africa. Through a combination of Skype conversations, emails, and in person visits from different members of the project, the teachers implemented two lessons over a series of months, having students communicate with one another through videos and emails.
Using a comprehensive curriculum called “Project WET” (Water Education for Teachers) that was designed by the Project WET Foundation, a Montana-based water education resources organization, the pair was able to base lessons around the concept of water while weaving in their students’ personal stories and aligning with local and national science standards.
Our Team
Our Goal
Inspired by the potential for connectivity thanks to today’s technology and the need for the upcoming generation of students to develop intercultural awareness as well as useful science and engineering skills, this project aims to connect teachers and their classrooms to enhance learning opportunities globally. This pilot project is designed to link pairs of teachers through virtual partnerships, allowing them to collaboratively plan and implement lessons in their respective classrooms, which can foster new and innovative teaching methods. In turn, students are given the opportunity to interact and engage with their counterparts, which inspires new ideas, boosts their motivation to learn, and brings them better awareness of who they are and how they identify with people from different cultures.
GWL Curriculum Designers at work: Lucy Crouppen (TESOL), Anna Santos (IEM & MPA), Amanda Liles (TESOL), Laura Preston (MPA), Chelsea Wicks (TESOL), Claire Northall (TESOL)
GWL is a pilot project started by graduate students studying Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), Public Administration, and International Education Management at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, at Monterey in Monterey, California.
Contact Us:
If you have comments, suggestions, or ideas, or would like to join the project as at teacher, please contact us at:
We appreciate your interest!