Education Without Borders: A Global Network for Equality and Peace

Introduction

Education Without Borders (EWB) represents a global movement of educational scholars and practitioners committed to ensuring that all children, particularly girls, have access to quality education. Going beyond simply improving existing school systems, EWB challenges the fundamental purpose and structure of schools to promote greater equality, opportunity, and peace, both within and between nations.

The Mission and Objectives of Education Without Borders

At its core, EWB is driven by the belief that every child has the right to education. The organization's mission extends to establishing a global network of educational scholars and practitioners dedicated to advocating for all children attending school. This commitment encompasses a focus on girls' education across all countries, recognizing its pivotal role in creating a sustainable future.

EWB's objectives are twofold:

Global Network: To establish a global network of educational scholars and practitioners who have chosen to work on behalf of all children going to school.
Questioning School Structures: To call into question what schools do in the first place and how they work or should work to provide greater equality to all children and their families.

EWB understands that schools often serve as agents of the nation-state, perpetuating its values and interests. However, the organization challenges educational leaders to resist nationalistic agendas that promote dominance and instead work towards political parity and the abandonment of harmful practices such as sexism, misogyny, nativism, racism, and xenophobia. EWB urges educational leaders to be reflexive, constantly evaluating their own thinking and seeking ways to advance equality, opportunity, and peace through their leadership.

Research, Scholarship, and Publications

Education Without Borders actively engages in research, scholarship, and publications to challenge practices, traditions, and policies that hinder children's right to education and critical thinking skills. This agenda promotes responsible global citizenship by questioning existing systems and advocating for change.

EWB has produced a range of publications, including:

The Roads to Integrating Sustainability in School Leadership & Teacher Preparation programs (2021)
Recipes to Combat the ISMS - Equity, Vol. 1 (2021)
Recipes to Combat the ISMS, Vol. 2 (2021)
Artificial Intelligence, Human Agency, and the Educational Leader (2021)
School Violence in International Contexts: Perspectives from Educational Leaders Without Borders (2019)
Educational Leaders Without Borders: Rising to Global Challenges to Educate All (2016)
Framing an International Imaginative Identity: A Monograph on Educational Leaders Without Borders (2014)
Online Faculty Teaching, Novice to Expert: Effective Practices for the Student Learner (2017)

These publications cover various topics, including sustainability, equity, artificial intelligence, school violence, and global challenges in education. EWB also provides free and open-access materials to broaden its reach and impact.

Addressing Challenges and Promoting Inclusion

EWB recognizes the complex challenges facing education globally, including inequities exacerbated by crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, the spread of race hatred, and attacks on institutions designed to protect vulnerable populations. To address these issues, EWB is committed to promoting human rights and inclusion.

The organization offers courses and resources that examine:

The relationship between education, international development, and global aid in the context of national and natural disasters.
The challenges facing girls and women and strategies for turning knowledge into action.
The fundamental underpinnings of human rights and inclusion and paths forward for building a society based on respect for diversity.

These courses are designed for teachers, local and national leaders, and NGOs and are often used in teacher preparation programs and professional development.

Initiatives and Programs

Education Without Borders supports various initiatives and programs that promote global education and intercultural exchange. These include:

Teaching Without Borders

Teaching Without Borders offers educators the chance to expand their perspectives on global education, develop resources for their classrooms, and participate in intercultural exchange. The program includes workshops focused on connecting international education theory to teaching practice, designing classroom activities, and engaging with classrooms abroad. Participants who complete the program receive a Teaching Without Borders certificate.

Education Beyond Borders

Education Beyond Borders is a study abroad program that brings learners together to cultivate a deeper understanding of the world. The program consists of an online course and a study abroad experience that allows participants to engage with diverse populations. Previous programs have focused on topics such as immigration and the refugee crisis in Berlin, Germany, and identity in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa.

The Undocumented Resource Area

The Undocumented Resource Area, led by coordinator Cynthia A., provides support and resources for undocumented students. Cynthia A.'s personal experience as the daughter of an immigrant from Mexico informs her work and highlights the importance of addressing discrimination and providing opportunities for all students.

Advocacy and Action

Education Without Borders actively advocates for policies and practices that support the rights of all children, including immigrant youth. The organization closely monitors developments related to programs like DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and provides resources to help individuals navigate the complexities of immigration law.

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EWB also encourages the public to be vigilant against fraud and to report any suspicious activity related to immigration services.

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