Closing the K12 International Knowledge Gap: Putting the World Into World Class Education

First-ever Prizes for Excellence in International Education Announced

Washington, DC (November 18, 2003) - Responding to recent reports documenting that US students are woefully uninformed about the rest of the world, The Goldman Sachs Foundation and Asia Society today announced the inaugural winners of The Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes for Excellence in International Education.

The winners, who will receive $25,000 in each category, are:

· The John Stanford International School, Seattle, Wash. (Elementary/Middle School)

· Evanston Township High School, Evanston, Ill. (High School)

· University of Vermont, Asian Studies Outreach Program (Higher Education)

· North Carolina (State)

· International Education and Resource Network (iEARN), New York, N.Y., and Sesame Workshop's Global Grover, New York, N.Y. (Co-Recipients, Media and Technology)

The Prizes were established to identify effective and replicable models of international education that address concerns about the economic, social, and diplomatic costs of educational isolationism.

Commenting on the importance of the prizes, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said, "The compelling changes in our economy, the dawning of the Information Age, and the horrible events of September 11, 2001 and their aftermath, have created an unprecedented need to focus on international knowledge and skills. To solve most of the major problems facing our country today-from wiping out terrorism to minimizing global environmental problems to eliminating the scourge of AIDS-will require every young person to learn more about other regions, cultures, and languages. I applaud the Goldman Sachs Foundation and Asia Society's efforts to promote international learning and congratulate this year's prizewinners."

Stephanie Bell-Rose, President of The Goldman Sachs Foundation, said: "If young Americans are to take on challenging global leadership roles in the future, they must have not only an education well grounded in the technology of the 21 st Century, but also a deep understanding of other cultures, geography, history, and languages. The world will demand it of them-we must demand it of our educational system."

In June 2003, The Goldman Sachs Foundation and Asia Society established a national competition for annual prizes recognizing excellence in international education. The prizes were designed to identify and recognize the best examples of international education for K-12 students and teachers, and to disseminate practical and innovative models that are worthy of broader visibility and replication. Independent experts reviewed over 300 applications, from a wide variety of schools-urban, suburban, and rural; public, private, and charter-in 44 states and the District of Columbia. Stimulated by many different factors-growing diversity in communities, the leadership of a single teacher or principal, the arrival of an international company in a community, September 11, 2001-these programs represent the leading edge of a grassroots movement to strengthen international literacy. A distinguished jury selected the prizewinners. (See Attached Backgrounder)

The Prizes demonstrate a multi-level approach addressing the international knowledge gap and recognize innovation, creativity and demonstrated impact in teaching foreign languages and world affairs.

"Americans assume that the world speaks English. But we need a stronger pipeline in the major world languages to meet our international security needs, for effective partnerships with our allies, and for homeland security, where police, public health and law enforcement officials will all need to deal with many different language groups." said Ambassador Nicholas Platt, President of the Asia Society. "The Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes are blazing an important path that will strengthen children's language, cultural knowledge and inquiry skills."

Winners from local schools, statehouses, university programs and the media and technology sector are promoting rich, engaging instruction that is integrated into all the major subjects; fostering effective teaching and learning of world languages; preparing teachers with essential international knowledge and skills; expanding state policy supports; and connecting America's youth to peers in the rest of the world through creative use of media and technology.

The John Stanford School, for example, is demonstrating how dual language immersion can improve student fluency when it begins at an early age. Evanston Township High School has created an International Studies graduation requirement and developed internationally-themed social science courses to prepare diverse college bound students.

"Without an educational and media establishment that takes on the responsibility of teaching and informing and respecting the riches of foreign cultures, this country could become a parochial suburb of a vital global village," said Morley Safer, CBS "60 Minutes" correspondent and Prizes juror.

The prizewinners exemplify how international knowledge and skills are no longer a luxury for high achieving or affluent students; they are a necessity. Their models demonstrate how a global focus can improve the quality of teaching, while getting the values of mutual understanding, respect, and cooperation into the curriculum, and inspiring students' curiosity to explore beyond their borders. The programs have been successfully interwoven into the regular school day, in after-school programs, and at home, while meeting the educational standards demanded by state and national policies such as the No Child Left Behind Act.

Teachers and community leaders who submitted applications demonstrated how international education has helped students improve achievement, engage diverse neighbors and new immigrants, and influenced career aspirations. From the millions of young children and parents delighted by Sesame Street's Global Grover, to the thousands of teens and teachers who construct projects with peers in over 100 countries through the iEARN program, the prizewinners illustrate how to prepare students to work, live and lead in our interconnected world.

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The Goldman Sachs Foundation

The Goldman Sachs Foundation is a global philanthropic organization funded by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. The Foundation's mission is to promote excellence and innovation in education and to improve the academic performance and lifelong productivity of young people worldwide. It achieves this mission through a combination of strategic partnerships, grants, loans, private sector investments, and the deployment of professional talent from Goldman Sachs. Funded in 1999, the Foundation has awarded grants in excess of $43 million since its inception, providing opportunities for young people in more than 20 countries. www.gs.com/foundation

The Asia Society

The Asia Society is America's leading institution dedicated to fostering understanding of Asia and communication between Americans and the peoples of Asia and the Pacific. A national nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization, the Asia Society develops cultural, policy, business and education programs about Asia for the public and influential leaders.

For more information on the prizewinners visit www.asiasociety.org