Our true destiny…is a world built from the bottom up by competent citizens living in solid communities, engaged in and by their places.
– David Orr
The Global Citizen Diploma is a supplementary qualification that complements the IB Diploma and NIST High School Diploma. As a supplementary programme that parallels the core NIST high school curriculum (Years 10-13), it enables the students to reflect on their learning experiences in the context of making a contribution to the world. The GCD allows them to better showcase their individual strengths and accomplishments in order to gain recognition for their achievements in areas that are not reported in the IB Diploma, or other transcripts and make them more visible to the universities of their choice. NIST is one of only a handful of schools around the world – and the only one in Thailand – to offer the GCD to its students.
Why Do the GCD?
Traditional grading systems measure academic ability and focus on a narrow range of skills set while overlooking other equally important skills. As universities and employers have increasingly acknowledged, grades simply do not provide enough information about the skills and strengths of students. The GCD is intended to fill that gap, showing how learners develop along a more diverse spectrum.
- The GCD showcases their talents in leadership, management, community engagement, global citizenship and other areas not measured through traditional grades.
- The GCD helps them tell their stories to universities and beyond, celebrating them as well-rounded applicants who possess multiple strengths and abilities
- The GCD helps them to grow as individuals, becoming more compassionate, confident and responsible global citizens.
How much work does the GCD require?
Most students will not need to complete a large amount of extra work to earn the GCD, as the GCD categories are designed to describe the kinds of activities and learning that students already participate in classrooms. Additionally, many of the reflections the NIST students must complete for their community, action, service (CAS) activities, or International Award (IA) correspond to the reflections required for the GCD. A small amount of adaptation development is all the work that may be required to be rewarded in multiple spaces. Students may also choose to report their GCD activities in more than just a written format, in videos, interviews, podcasts, presentations or such.
How does the GCD work?
Students submit posts to veracross, which will be shared every Day G with a team of reviewers. These posts will work towards one of three levels of recognition: the Global Citizen Certificate, Global Citizen Diploma or Global Citizen Diploma with Distinction. The requirements for each are detailed on the GCD website.
Where can I find more information?
Additional details of the GCD—including guidelines, reflection criteria and exemplars—are available on the official site. You may also contact the NIST GCD Coordinator at nist@globalcitizendiploma.org.
Elements of the GCD
Core Values
Academics
Students achieve a level of education that makes it possible to hold informed opinions. Diplomas earned prior to the completion of high school are held pending graduation.
Community Engagement
Students make a consistent, sustained commitment to serving and developing connections with each other.
Global Understanding
Students actively seek personal understanding of the interaction of power/privilege and economics, ethics, politics, religion, environment between countries/cultures.
Inter-Cultural Communication
Students are committed to connecting with and understanding others across linguistic and cultural barriers.
Competencies
Public Communication
Students engage an audience and communicate effectively, ethically, and publicly on issues of personal interest or passion.
Wellness
Students learn how to maintain their own physical, social, mental/emotional, and spiritual health
Wilderness Engagement
Students assess risk, and develop a skill or understanding through interaction with nature
Work Experience
Students provide work of practical value in a professional setting, developing skills.
Academic Skills
Students develop a proficiency in interdisciplinary academic skill such as Research, Reflection, Transfer, Organization, Collaboration and Inquiry.
Artistic Expression
Students develop the habits of creative exploration and communications through sustained engagement with the arts.
Management
Students take responsibility for managing resources such as space, money, time, towards the completion of a goal.
Personal Goal
Students set an ambitions goal, and plan systematically, act, reflect and adapt in the pursuit of it.
Areas of Expertise
Advanced Academics
Students engage and perform at the highest academic level in one subject or across disciplines or in a specific academic skill.
Leadership
Students fulfill their vision of a task through the effective leadership of people and management of resources.
Multilingualism
Students are native or functionally fluent in at least two skills of reading, writing and speaking, in at least two different languages.
Personal Accomplishment
Students achieve and are recognized at the highest or para-professional levels, on par with adults.
