World Affairs Council 75
Global Classroom
Where Seattle Engages the World
The World Affairs Council’s Global Classroom (GC) program extends the World Affairs Council’s message of global understanding to K-12 classrooms. As we celebrate our 75th anniversary, we invite you to explore the connections that scale mutual understanding and address critical global issues, one conversation at a time.
Educating for Global Competence
The World Affairs Council’s Global Classroom program helps students and educators across the greater Seattle region make sense of a rapidly changing world. In 2026, global competence is more important than ever. From climate change and technological disruption to migration, conflict, and shifting economies, today’s challenges demand that young people develop the skills, knowledge, and empathy to navigate complexity and contribute to solutions.
To be globally competent is to understand and respect diverse perspectives, think critically about global issues, communicate across cultures, and take informed, responsible action. These skills prepare students not only to thrive in their own communities but also to participate meaningfully in our interconnected world. Global Classroom’s programs are guided by leading frameworks in global and international education, which emphasize that preparing youth for the future requires more than content knowledge—it requires cultivating curiosity, empathy, collaboration, and a sense of shared responsibility for building a just and equitable world.
Global Classroom’s reach is made possible through robust partnerships with higher education, government, and community organizations, including the University of Washington's Center for Global Studies, Washington State's Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), the Norcliffe Foundation, and more. A huge thank you to our community for supporting our work to bring the world into classrooms across Washington state.