In 2020, SIS Pfäffikon-Schwyz introduced a new tradition to the school community: a “Global Issues Exhibition” with the secondary students. This event is an exhibition of the students’ class projects for their final history and geography units. As the highlight of these projects, the secondary 1, 2, and 3 students present their individually researched topics to the school community.
During the Global Issues unit, students investigate and discuss some of the most challenging issues currently facing humanity and the planet. They learn about a variety of topics together as a class. Afterwards, the students make an important choice: they each decide on a global issue topic, which they feel is important to them, to research and then to present to the school community. Once their topic is approved by the teacher, the students research information independently. Students are given class time to work on their projects but are also expected to work on them in their own time. They collect a variety of images, watch documentaries, read relevant literature and document many sources of information to research their topic. They also meet with their teacher for progress checks to receive feedback and guidance. Lastly, they each prepare a posterboard of their topic, to present to both their class and to the school community.
The secondary students present their projects in several ways: verbally, visually and digitally. During the exhibition, they present their posterboards, engaging the audience with different forms of visual media and discussion. The exhibition takes place during school hours for the school community and for their parents later in the evening. They are required to wear formal attire for both occasions, to make a professional impression on their audiences.
The Global Issues Exhibition constitutes an important assessment grade for history and geography. However, there is so much more the students gain from this experience, than just a final grade. In essence, the secondary students educate their school community and families as “mini experts” on issues that affect us all as global citizens. This event also has a “rite of passage” significance, as secondary students, they are expected to set an example to younger students in our school. They are given the responsibility of “teaching” our younger students, showcasing their academic range and role modelling mature behaviour with personal qualities such as an international mindset and compassion for the world in which we live.
There are many benefits to this wonderful tradition. In an era of the 24-hour news cycle, social media, deep-fakes and AI, the Global Issues project keeps students conscious of current events, makes them evaluate news sources and their validity, and encourages them to investigate their own questions. All this together gives students a sense of awareness of the world around them and the importance of informing others of the issues affecting us. The projects are demanding and time consuming, but in the end, students feel empowered by what they have learned and by sharing their knowledge with others. As educators, this is what we hope our students will continue to do as they move on in their academic lives and in the greater world.