“Homa Tavangar is one of those rare individuals who both speaks and writes eloquently about what it means to prepare young people to be true world citizens.  She has much to offer community and civic leaders, parents, and educators and has my highest recommendation.” – Tony Wagner, Harvard University, author of Creating Innovators and The Global Achievement Gap

“Homa Tavangar inspired our World View audience at our global education symposium at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Participants left her presentation wanting more professional development in global education for themselves and more globally centered classrooms for their students. Thanks to Homa’s content, skill building techniques and strategies, great change will happen in North Carolina classrooms.” – Charlé LaMonica, Director, World View at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

“Homa’s presentation at our school was amazing. She connected with the audience and spoke about these really big issues in a way that resonated with everyone there. I know many people felt empowered and excited to do something. It was a very educational and uplifting experience and we would love to have her back.” – Ariana Bertrand, parent organizer, Palo Alto (CA) Public Schools

“Homa was truly an inspiration – her presentation was accessible, honest, thoughtful and non-judgmental. I came away from her talk with a real feeling of hopefulness for the future and some concrete things I could immediately do … She’s an incredible speaker and could make a real difference for our community.” –  Kate Hughey, teacher, Wellesley (MA) Public  Schools

“Best New Parenting Books: Help your child understand diversity with this book’s fun activities, simple explanations, and ideas for gaining a global perspective.” – Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine

“Helping children to appreciate the myriad religions and cultures around the world is a daunting task. Growing Up Global: Raising Children to Be At Home in the World …is an outstanding place to start.” — Boston Globe, “The Find” of the Week in Books

Top 20 Education Books of the Decade – Jacksonville (FL) Public Education Examiner

Elementary students inspired by Homa’s visit – read the story from Dallas Morning News.

Listen to a podcast of conversation with education technology specialists about what inspired Growing Up Global and how to translate ideas for schools: click here.

“Whether it’s mastering a greeting in ten different languages, throwing an internationally-themed birthday party, or celebrating (and understanding) a newfound holiday, Growing Up Global provides parents, educators, and children with a rich, exciting background for exploring and connecting with far-flung nations they may have only heard about on television.”

As Growing Up Global has been widely acclaimed as a manual for raising global citizens, Homa Tavangar serves as the guide for diverse audiences. She has navigated this terrain herself – as a parent of three children, as an adviser to governments and businesses, and since the last decade, as a global educator and thought leader. In Growing Up Global: Raising Children to Be at Home in the World, Tavangar shares with all of us her “parenting toolbox” to help give our children a vital global perspective. In subsequent books, articles, and work with organizations ranging from NBC, PBS Parents, and KidsHealth, to the Pulitzer Center, and U.S. and international schools and universities, she has developed vast tools for building cultural and global competency, empathy, inclusion, and the ability to embrace – not fear – our globalized society and economy.

Presentations for parent organizations help show why and how to raise children to not only succeed, but to THRIVE (i.e., be happy, find meaning) in a global economy and society. Strategies for engaging with our children at school or the dinner table are discussed, and audiences universally leave with inspiration and tools that build confidence and meaningful connection.

Homa’s work with schools includes engaging professional development for educators (see the separate page on Teacher Professional Development) and assemblies or smaller-group work with students. For example:

Student Assemblies for Peace Day, International Week, or other global-themed programming: Work with Homa to tailor a presentation around a specific theme, building global citizenship using tested methods through research in neuroscience, diversity, innovation and curriculum design. Homa takes students on a journey around the world with her interactive slide show that features funny and profound lessons on cultural practices and universal virtues learned by her family during their travels in Africa and elsewhere — lessons on generosity, compassion, patience, judging others, environmental stewardship, and more. She’ll help students tap into great on-line resources, share creative global film clips with them, and get them on their feet to engage with the material. The interactive discussion she leads will help students consider how to continue the experience beyond the school assembly.

Homa’s presentations empower students to feel more connected to the global community and offer ideas for them to get involved, no matter where they live. Assembly programs specific to elementary, middle school, and high school students are available. The program can be tailored to your school’s curriculum, demographics, or other particular needs, all with an eye toward authenticity and deeper inquiry.

Build Real Inclusion, Engage in Courageous Conversations, Enhance School Climate: Homa’s research with groups like Quiet Revolution, civil rights education programs, multicultural initiatives, and presentations to school and business diversity professionals help build deep inclusion that is sorely needed today. With unprecedented levels of hate speech and harassment emerging from schools and society, good people need the tools to be upstanders, have courageous conversations, and confront active and passive prejudice in its many forms. (For reference, see my article on Building Safety and Inclusion in Edutopia, and on Civil Rights and Global Learning in Education Week.)

Student Leadership Conferences: Young peoples’ roles as global citizens are examined in presentations and hands-on reflection for middle, high school and university student leaders.

Community Service, Environmental Stewardship, and Engaging with the World: Consider examples of young people who have made a difference – in their home communities or on the global stage. How can we apply the lessons they have learned to plan our own service-learning projects? An entrepreneurial mindset calls for being alert to possibilities. How might we cultivate this way of thinking to make a difference, practice creativity and realize innovation? This presentation might explore career paths, personal service plans, and take an inventory of how we use our time and resources.

For more information about bringing Homa Tavangar to your school, please contact her at homatav@growingupglobal.net.