Purpose:

The Buffalo Public School District is a participating city in the international Global Scholars Program. Multiple schools in the Buffalo Public School District are represented in this international program. Through a variety of multimedia communication methods, scholars connect with other peers from around the world to learn about each other's cities, a common global problem they are studying, and investigate solutions for solving this problem. All scholars participating in this program benefit by exploring connections with each other, advancing their digital literacy skills, and improving their communication skills. Participating schools: 67, 74, 79, 80, 81, 89, 92, 93, 94, 156, 195. 

Global Scholars District Implementation Team:

• Dr. Fatima Morrell, Associate Superintendent of Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Initiatives

• Dr. Kelly Baudo, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction

• Dalphne Bell, Director of Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Initiatives

• W. Charles Brandy, Director of Social Studies

• Tatiana Merrick, Director of Science

• Aimee Bloom, Supervisor of Instructional Technology

• Max Grundy, Supervisor of Career and Technical Education

• Pietro Mendola, Supervisor of World Languages

• Brianna Pride, Supervisor of Instructional Technology

• Jeffrey Filippelli, Instructional Technology Coach

• Kevin Pezzino, Instructional Technology Coach

• Katherine Rabb, Instructional Technology Coach

• Nicole Buccilli, Data Coach

Through the Global Scholars curriculum and online communication with international seers, students learn how to solve a global problem. In 2022-23, students study the importance of water in their lives, cities, and the world. Students exchange ideas and perspectives in discussion boards as they investigate some of today's most pressing water security issues: water pollution, the impact of climate change, and providing equitable access to safe water.

Buffalo Public School students are shining as they actively participate in the Global Scholars Program. This year Global Scholars students are investigating the impact of water on our global society. The scholars are finding many local connections to water, as the natural world wonder, Niagara Falls, is a short distance away, and the City of Buffalo resides near a large body of fresh water, Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes.

Through the Global Scholars curriculum and online communication with international peers. students learn how to solve a global problem. In 2021-22, students will learn about their local and global food systems. They will discuss and design local solutions to improve food security and mitigate the effects of climate change. For a sustainable future, cities must build food systems that are healthy for all people and the planet.

Throughout the 2021-2022 school year, Global scholars students engaged in a five-unit study, featuring buildling health, sustainable, and equitable food systems globally and in the City of Buffalo. The scholars used Microsoft Sway to collaboratively communicate findings of food security in our community and share their reflections with their international peers. The students from Ms. Reiss’ sixth-grade class at PS 195 City Honors had the opportunity to interview Dr. Samina Raja, Associate Dean for Research and Inclusive Excellence at the University of Buffalo’s School of Architecture and Planning. She shared the importance of learning about how food systems work and the need for innovative solutions to increase sustainability and equitability in communities. While all of our Scholars are doing phenomenal work, we are thrilled to announce that the Global Scholars Program highlighted some of our Meet the Global Scholars Unit 1 projects. These projects, designed by students from PS 79 William J. Grabiarz School of Excellence and PS 94 West Hertel Elementary, will be shared with the international community as exemplary work.

Through the Global Scholars curriculum and online communication with international peers. students learn how to solve a global problem in 2020-21, students investigate the local and global impacts of consumption. With more people living in cities each year, urban populations consume an increasing amount of food, water, energy, and other resources. This increased demand depletes natural resources faster than Earth can renew them. Many products are designer for a single use, adding to waste disposal challenges. Students design local solutions that make production, delivery, and disposal systems more sustainable and improve the lives of people in cities worldwide.

In the 2020-2021 school year, Global Scholars students investigated the local and global impacts of consumption. Students examined their own consumption, the sustainability of products purchased, and analyzed the effects of their consumption choices. They also investigated how the choices our city makes to produce and deliver resources, such as transportation and the electrical grid, impact public health, ecosystems, and the economy. While examining city-systems students focused on researching Buffalo's transportation system's accessibility and sustainability. Mr. James Morrell, the Deputy Director of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) provided scholars with insightful information on the local transportation department. Click here to view Mr. Morrell’s, NFTA interview. To display their learning of the city systems, classes globally and here in Buffalo created community guides about the sustainability and accessibility of the system. Students also thoughtfully, gave recommendations on how to improve the accessibility of the transportation system.

Out of hundreds of projects, four classes in the Buffalo Global Scholars Program were chosen as exemplars by the Global Cities Team:

P.S 79, PFC William J Grabriarz School of Excellence Global Scholars Transportation System ProjectSchool 79's Global Scholars teaching team: Matthew Boyle, Sharon Davis, Rosangela Dexter, Amy Flynn, and Shane Hornquist

P.S. 80, Highgate Heights Global Scholars Buffalo's Transportation System Project

School 80's Global Scholars teaching team: Angela Beathley, Jeffery Filippelli, Atisha Lacey, Todd Robinson, and Stephanie Ventralino. 

P.S. 81, Global Scholars Buffalo's Transportation System Project 1

P.S. 81, Global Scholars Buffalo's Transportation System Project 2

School 81's Global Scholars teaching team: Tara Bukowski and Jennifer Orengo