Create an AP Global Citizenship Course
The Issue
Imagine if every high school student had the chance to study the world as it truly is: connected, complex, and full of shared challenges and opportunities.
That’s what an Advanced Placement (AP) Global Citizenship course could offer.
Today’s students already live in a global world. They collaborate online across continents. They see climate change, migration, and technology reshaping lives daily. But, for most students, their curriculum seldomly helps them make sense of these realities in a deep, holistic and sustained way.
At The Geographical Imaginations Expedition & Institute (The GIEI), we’ve seen firsthand how powerful it is when students learn to challenge and expand their ability to understand how their lives are deeply connected with people, places, and ecosystems at home and beyond.
An AP Global Citizenship course would bring this kind of learning into schools in the United States and worldwide, giving students the opportunity to:
🌍 Explore how global systems shape local realities.
Students would trace how climate change impacts food on their table, how global supply chains shape what they wear, and how technology connects — and divides — communities. They’d learn to see the world not as “out there,” but as deeply interwoven with their everyday lives.
🤝 Build intercultural skills to collaborate across differences.
In a world where classmates, colleagues, and neighbors come from every background, students would learn how to listen with empathy, communicate across cultures, and work effectively in diverse teams. These aren’t just “soft skills” — they’re survival skills in the 21st-century workforce and civic life.
🔎 Analyze real-world issues through multiple perspectives.
Students would investigate sustainability, inequality, migration, and digital ethics not as abstract topics, but as lived realities. They’d examine voices from different regions, histories, and communities — moving beyond stereotypes to understand complexity and nuance.
🧭 Develop both critical thinking and empathy.
Students would learn to question information, evaluate sources, and spot misinformation — while also connecting with the human stories behind the headlines. They’d practice not only intellectual rigor, but also moral imagination: the ability to see themselves in others and to act responsibly in their communities and beyond.
This is more than academic preparation. It’s preparation for life — for college, careers, citizenship, and leadership in a world that is fast, fragile, and interconnected.
Why now?
International organizations already affirm this need. UNESCO identifies Global Citizenship Education as a cornerstone of building peaceful, sustainable societies. The OECD measures global competence as a key 21st-century skill. And colleges are looking for applicants who can think critically, communicate across cultures, and act with civic responsibility.
The College Board has acknowledged that no AP course in Global Citizenship or Global Competence is in the planning stages today — but they are listening. With enough support, we can demonstrate that the demand is real and the time is right.
Our call
We are calling on the College Board to create an AP Global Citizenship course — and this vision requires collaboration across the education community. K–12 educators, higher education faculty, and organizations dedicated to global learning all have a role to play in shaping and supporting this course. Broad institutional support will strengthen the case to the College Board that this course is both needed and feasible.
Because our kids deserve to be prepared for the real world they’re inheriting.
They deserve the chance to become the globally competent leaders our future needs.
📢 Add your name. Share widely. Together, we can bring Global Citizenship Education into the AP program — and into every student’s future.
👉 Individuals: Sign the petition here on Change.org.
👉 Organizations, schools, and institutions: Visit our campaign page to join as an official supporter.
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The Issue
Imagine if every high school student had the chance to study the world as it truly is: connected, complex, and full of shared challenges and opportunities.
That’s what an Advanced Placement (AP) Global Citizenship course could offer.
Today’s students already live in a global world. They collaborate online across continents. They see climate change, migration, and technology reshaping lives daily. But, for most students, their curriculum seldomly helps them make sense of these realities in a deep, holistic and sustained way.
At The Geographical Imaginations Expedition & Institute (The GIEI), we’ve seen firsthand how powerful it is when students learn to challenge and expand their ability to understand how their lives are deeply connected with people, places, and ecosystems at home and beyond.
An AP Global Citizenship course would bring this kind of learning into schools in the United States and worldwide, giving students the opportunity to:
🌍 Explore how global systems shape local realities.
Students would trace how climate change impacts food on their table, how global supply chains shape what they wear, and how technology connects — and divides — communities. They’d learn to see the world not as “out there,” but as deeply interwoven with their everyday lives.
🤝 Build intercultural skills to collaborate across differences.
In a world where classmates, colleagues, and neighbors come from every background, students would learn how to listen with empathy, communicate across cultures, and work effectively in diverse teams. These aren’t just “soft skills” — they’re survival skills in the 21st-century workforce and civic life.
🔎 Analyze real-world issues through multiple perspectives.
Students would investigate sustainability, inequality, migration, and digital ethics not as abstract topics, but as lived realities. They’d examine voices from different regions, histories, and communities — moving beyond stereotypes to understand complexity and nuance.
🧭 Develop both critical thinking and empathy.
Students would learn to question information, evaluate sources, and spot misinformation — while also connecting with the human stories behind the headlines. They’d practice not only intellectual rigor, but also moral imagination: the ability to see themselves in others and to act responsibly in their communities and beyond.
This is more than academic preparation. It’s preparation for life — for college, careers, citizenship, and leadership in a world that is fast, fragile, and interconnected.
Why now?
International organizations already affirm this need. UNESCO identifies Global Citizenship Education as a cornerstone of building peaceful, sustainable societies. The OECD measures global competence as a key 21st-century skill. And colleges are looking for applicants who can think critically, communicate across cultures, and act with civic responsibility.
The College Board has acknowledged that no AP course in Global Citizenship or Global Competence is in the planning stages today — but they are listening. With enough support, we can demonstrate that the demand is real and the time is right.
Our call
We are calling on the College Board to create an AP Global Citizenship course — and this vision requires collaboration across the education community. K–12 educators, higher education faculty, and organizations dedicated to global learning all have a role to play in shaping and supporting this course. Broad institutional support will strengthen the case to the College Board that this course is both needed and feasible.
Because our kids deserve to be prepared for the real world they’re inheriting.
They deserve the chance to become the globally competent leaders our future needs.
📢 Add your name. Share widely. Together, we can bring Global Citizenship Education into the AP program — and into every student’s future.
👉 Individuals: Sign the petition here on Change.org.
👉 Organizations, schools, and institutions: Visit our campaign page to join as an official supporter.
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Petition created on September 22, 2025