Growing Up Global Giveaway

Author Homa Tavangar contacted me after reading my post on raising globally aware children, and offered a copy of her book Growing Up Global: Raising Children to Be At Home in the World to one of my readers in the US or Canada. This book is full of ideas and suggestions for raising globally aware children – check out Growing Up Global’s official website and facebook page!

Congratulations, Jacquie, you won this giveaway! I also wanted to share some of the insightful answers that were given to the question, “Why do you think global awareness is important?” on the entry form:

• To foster acceptance and compassion in the children who will become the future citizens of our world.
• In order to work toward peace in the world, we need to know about and understand one another.
• It engenders consciousness and appreciation of diversity and beauty.
• I want my children to understand that things that happen in other countries affect us.
• I think America tends to be very insular; we’ve convinced ourselves we’re the best country in the world, but there are plenty of other places where people are happy with much less than we have. It’s important to see people who live a different way.
• We only have one world, and we all have to live in it together and take care of it together.
• So we can teach our children that what we do in our backyard is connected to someone else’s backyard on the other side of the world.
• Teaching your children to think globablly and be more aware of other cultures helps them learn to respect and understand others.
• My children are Indian growing up in the US. I need them to understand how important it is to learn about different cultures and to accept them for their differences because that is how the world comes closer together.
• It is always important to think of others. Understanding other people’s cultures and lifestyles helps each of us accept one another more easily which helps us all to get along better and hopefully one day will provide us peace on earth.
• I believe we’re all connected, and I don’t want my children to miss out on this beauty in life.
• We all need to be aware of how connected the world is – how we all impact the environment and the people that live across the world with our behaviors. With the internet and so many ways to travel, our kids will know people from all different countries by the time they graduate college so helping them to learn that we all have different customs and cultures will allow them to have a better appreciation for one another.
• Global awareness is important because we live in a global society. Our “neighbor’ no longer means the house next door.
• It’s important for children to learn about others’ involvement in the world. Different viewpoints and respect for other opinions makes for a more informed global citizen.
• Appreciation and Compassion for all people of the world!
• So we can make choices to benefit everyone and learn how to work together, instead of being blinded by culture.
• It pushes us to think beyond ourselves and expands our perspective and compassion.
• We are all connected environmentally–wasteful developed countries should not exploit the resources or citizens of developing countries. Staying informed about environmental issues that effect EVERY nation is important. We are ONE planet, inter-connected in so many ways.

Thank you to all who entered, and especially for your insights!

MaryAnne Kochenderfer

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MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.