Achieving the Extraordinary
Babel’s tower
We are fortunate to have 35 different nationalities registered at JFK this academic year. It is an incredible source of diversity for our IB school. It gives our children the opportunity to be exposed to different cultures and to make friends from around the world.
But, are we really taking full advantage of this amazing opportunity? How truly internationalminded are we? There is more to international mindedness than just food, languages, and flags.
International Mindedness
Pag. 6
As defined by Dr. Chris MĂźller, an educator specializing in international education, international mindedness is: A view of the world in which people see themselves connected to the global community and assume a sense of responsibility to its members. It is an awareness of the inter-relatedness of all nations and peoples, and a recognition of the complexity of these relationships. Internationally-minded people appreciate and value the diversity of cultures in the world and make an effort to learn more about them.
International Mindedness By Radia Si Youcef JFK Parent
In other words, it is about being aware of who we are while striving to learn from others, so that together we can form a harmonious global community. International-mindedness starts by looking beyond the visible tip of the cultural iceberg. Culture is often represented as an iceberg with the observable part being the language, food, folklore, and other traditions while the nonvisible part represents the core values of the culture practiced in daily life, notions of right and wrong, family structure, religion, and much more.
