Remember when you were a child and everybody asked you what you want to be when you grow up? You could imagine becoming almost anything; maybe a doctor, a fire fighter, a nurse or a teacher. Your imagination was the limit. But how and why did you chose to become a teacher? What were the experiences that helped you make this decision? Perhaps a teacher in primary school or a subject learned during high school?

Today, as time has passed and you have lived many experiences as an educator for Jesuit schools, we ask you: What does education mean to you?

Many children around the world don´t have the opportunity to have a teacher that guides them on what to become when they grow up or even access to education itself. In fact, 58 million children around the world of primary school age are out of school today!

Civilization is progressing so fast, changes are happening as we speak, and yet still 58 million children around the world won´t have the opportunity to understand or to be part of todays´ global changes.

So, we ask you once again. What does education mean to you?

Here is a video produced by UNICEF of children around the world who answered to this question. Have a look and then, we invite you to share your thoughts in this open conversation – What does education mean to you?

Furthermore, in a committed effort to raising awareness of the millions of people that still don’t have access to education around the world, Educate Magis and Entreculturas are inviting each Jesuit and Ignatian school around the world to take action and be part of The Global Red Chair Project.

This project aims to continue raising awareness and to teach students of their responsibility, as Global Citizens, to act by doing something that makes a difference in the world.

We have put together fascinating ideas and resources into a Red Chair Project Resources page. Here teachers can find creative exercises, games and activities for students of ages from 5 to 18 years.  You can choose any of the resources and adapt them to your own context or create your own. The sky is the limit!

Get together with your colleagues and brainstorm ideas that work for your school and if you need more assistance, the Educate Magis team would be delighted to help! Just follow this conversation to ask any questions or share your ideas for your local Red Chair Project.

See The Global Red Chair photo gallery here. Pictures from schools around the world!